Midnight Rain
by LoliBat
Summary: Humans spend their short, transient lives bustling about; few are aware of their guardians peering at them, never moving. Shifts in power must be equal for the universe to maintain balanced. Sebastian should have known that the Fates' sharp eyes would not miss his contract with Ciel. "So what business does an angel have with me?" Ciel asked. Mangaverse, no pairings.
1. I: Midnight Rain

Midnight Rain Chapter One

Humans spend their short, transient lives bustling about; yet few are aware of the silent watchers peering at them- never blinking, never moving. They exist, invisible to the naked eye- and have existed for many millennia past. Humans are unable to detect them, yet they hold their duty of safeguarding the soul slumbering within each human. They maintain the balance of the soul, subtly influencing their human to maintain neutrality in their actions as to not stain the precious cargo that they carry. However, not every human is granted the privilege of guardians, for humans outnumber their watchers by far. Only those with the purest and brightest of souls are given guidance.

Occasionally, humans unconsciously acknowledge their existence. When people face crossroads, unsure of their choice, they unknowingly seek the comfort and wisdom of their guardians, one on each shoulder.

Humans typically live and die oblivious of their protectors, and at their deathbeds, one of them escorts the soul to its destination beyond death. After, they are free to be assigned to another new soul; however, the two guardians must be balanced in power. If they are not in equal in power, how can the soul not be swayed one way or another?

With this question, our tale begins…

* * *

Green eyes blinked back painfully as the grit of London air blew into his eyes. Curses to industrialization, he grumbled quietly.

Perched atop a spiraling peak of a church in London, he rubbed his eyes. The figure bit back curses as he stood up and stretched. Crouching on the tip of a spire is murder on the back, he thought. Here, no being would bother him- humans rarely look up from their lives, and divine beings rarely expect anyone at this altitude- not that they would bother someone of his standing anyways.

With a snap, he unfolded his large white wings, letting them catch the wind. His wings were wide and tapered, designed for speed- not endurance. Certainly, to lift him into the air and sustain flight, they would have to be large. He was certainly not overweight, but as his bones were dense, extra effort was needed to enable him to fly. Strands of wavy ebony hair gently drifted over the wind as the figure glanced down into the streets below, where humans were bustling about like ants. He peered for a moment before brushing back his hair.

"I suppose it is time to meet my new assignment," He said with one more sigh. "I don't get paid nearly enough for this," he complained. "Damn him to hell… Wait- not hell- he likes it there."

Grumbling some more, he leapt off the tower and into crisp autumn air. He needed no directions; he knew exactly where his charge was.

* * *

In a different part of London, all was well- except for a young boy, who was decidedly against feeling _well_, deigning the term too plebian for him to use. There was nothing to be _well_ about- the weather was beautiful, and instead of enjoying his youth, he was woefully obligated to learn an obscure language of no practical usage whatsoever.

'Anything would be better than learning this… this esoteric useless language,' he thought grumpily as he slouched down in his chair. On the other side of the room, his demonic butler droned on endlessly.

"Young master," the tutor said chiding, his sharp ruby eyes snapped to the boy's own gray ones, waking the boy from his reverie.

Biting back a groan, Earl Ciel Phantomhive gestured for him to continue.

"As you well know, nouns in Latin have three genders- female, male, and neutral. Each set of words have a different set of conjugations that you must remember. We have discussed some in our previous lesson. Today, we shall be exploring the conjugation of Latin verbs." Sebastian Michaelis smiled.

Ciel openly frowned, sinking slightly in his seat. The demon was not going against his orders, but he was certainly not pleased to be commanded like a common mutt. Ciel supposed this would be his version of passive aggressive revenge. Certainly, he was just following orders.

"None of that, young master. Latin is a classic language befitting of your status," Sebastian reminded his petulant master of his mandate. "You would do well to learn it. Now, verbs in first person are conjugated like this-" he gestured to word written on the handbook and on the board in front of him. "A root word and an o."

Ciel nodded slowly. That was simple enough- he could make do.

"Second person verbs are conjugated-" Sebastian continued, suddenly coming to an abrupt stop. His eyes flashed red suddenly, and his pupils turned to slits. The demon's gaze snapped to the open window behind Ciel. The unblinking focus in Sebastian's stare was unnerving. The demon stalked over to the window, positioning himself in front of his charge.

"What-" the Earl began uneasily, spinning his chair around.

"There is an intruder on the property," Sebastian said shortly. "Not of the human kind," he added with caution.

A tingle of apprehension ran up Ciel's back. Another demon, perhaps? The child's heartbeat sped up by instinct, a reaction similar to that of a prey in the face of a predator.

"However, it appears the creature does not mean harm," Sebastian relaxed minutely, the red in his eyes bleeding back to a dull brown. He flared his nose and tilted his head slightly in confusion, as if not quite believing the scent carried by the wind.

"Investigate this matter at once, Sebastian." Ciel commanded once he was sure that his voice would not waver.

"As you wish, young master." The demon inclined his head as the order took hold in his mind.

"For now, your lesson is suspended. I'm afraid you will have to relocate to your room for the time being." Sebastian said and leapt out the window.

For once, Ciel followed the suggestion obediently and retreated to his room in haste.

* * *

The angel landed softly on a dirt road in the middle of a well-kept forest. With great beats of his wings, he stirred up the crimson fallen leaves. He looked around, viridian eyes taking in the quiet nature around him.

It is a nice forest, he thought absently. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spied a falcon circling the skies, most probably looking for a meal. Insects darted into the path, and sparrows followed suit. Shrugging, he walked contently towards the mansion he knew to be ahead. His sense of direction is never wrong, though it takes a certain amount of skill for him not to take long detours. Procrastination was his forte, and he never wanted to take on this assignment in the first place.

It did not take him very long to reach his destination- the Phantomhive esate. Once he arrived, he stood a few feet in front of the steps, gazing up at the magnificent architecture. He could call it awe-inspiring if he had seen palaces from all eras in history. It was rather large for a manor, with two floors and doubtlessly many rooms. The architecture hinted at elegance and refined tastes, yet not to the point of gaudiness. Yet, the entire manor was practically covered in the dark oily feel of a demon's presence. Hidden in a forest such as this, the angel doubted if any other divine beings noticed- or cared. It was distasteful, he thought, how such a beautiful manor was covered by the filth of a demon.

"Impressive," a voice spoke behind him. "Is it not?"

The angel did not turn around; he was not surprised in the least, though he was glad that he had hidden his wings. He knew that the demon residing here would greet him, and he was not disappointed. Demons were notoriously territorial, after all. Having an angel of his power here would be enough send any demon's instincts into overdrive- though perhaps not this demon. Hiding his wings were simply good manners- a formality at best indicating non-violence. In the presence of other creatures, it was rude and unnecessary to flaunt status and power.

Instead of his usual heavenly attire of white silks and linens, he was dressed as a human in a Victorian style suit. The angel looked like any other British aristocrat- or perhaps a wealthy merchant.

"I would appreciate it more if you would refrain from giving yourself airs considering how you are the one tainting it with your presence," he said dryly without turning around. He did not feel the least bit threatened by the demon; the other creature would not attack, for that would give him the option of retaliating in self defense.

"Taint is a rather strong word; the stones are quite boring, and I am simply adding some color to them. Ah, but I am sure you did not take such a long journey to admire the architecture, Mister…" Sebastian began with a smile.

The angel waved his question away. "You must be daft if you expect me to give you my true name- as if you don't know who I am anyways. You know as well as I do that true names are not given upon introduction. As if I would hand you such power over my soul," the angel scoffed.

Sebastian's eyes flashed red in amusement. As expected of _this_ particular angel. He would be sorely disappointed if the angel had given him his true name.

"You are correct in that I am not here merely to enjoy the view, nice as it is," the angel admitted, turning around to face Sebastian fully. "I require an audience with your master."

"I am afraid the young master is busy in his studies at the moment," Sebastian said, a falsely apologetic smile plastered on his face. The effect was dimmed by his fangs, which showed past his stretched lips.

"Unless it is proper to study in bed, I am afraid your master is not studying at all," he said drily, waving his hand easily towards the window of Ciel's bedroom.

Sebastian's smile never left his lips. Red eyes narrowed. "Nonetheless, the young mater has no time for idle meetings," he reiterated.

The angel's eyes narrowed minutely. "That was not a request. I was sent here by the Fates- all three of those troublesome women. You should have known that one day your master's situation would be rectified. He was supposed to have two guardians- now he has only one. The Fates have discovered this imbalance, hence my presence here. I have no doubts that you have guessed my purpose here by now- you should know that I have no choice in the matter. If you wish to defy the Fates, by all means do so. I would love to watch you if only for the free show since this is all your fault in the first place. Due to your irresponsible actions, I am obligated to be here."

Sebastian remained still as stone though he raised an eyebrow.

"I was the one summoned," he rebutted. "The fault lies in the summonors, not me."

"You were the one who chose to contract with that child," the angel scoffed.

Sebastian shrugged. "How mannerless I would be if I turned down a such a sacrifice?" His grin was all teeth.

"You would consider it proper to contract with a ten year old child," the angel said with a sigh. "You should have known at the time that the Fates will not allow a human soul to be so unbalanced. You have your duty, and I have mine. Neither of us have a choice in the matter, nor do I mean your master harm. "

The angel paused, then turned around to stare at the butler with curiosity. "I never thought that that a demon of your caliber would accept being leashed, no matter how delicious the soul sacrifice." the angel said with amusement. "And to think your new master named you after his dog." That particular piece of information had been included in his mission briefing for sheer entertainment.

Sebastian pursed his lips knowing that the Fates' will was absolute. "I shall notify the master of your presence and be back promptly." He pointedly chose to ignore the angel's jab at his contract, which only elicited more amusement from the irritating man.

The angel nodded regally with a slight smirk and waited patiently for Sebastian's return.

* * *

"So," Ciel said while sipping on a cup of freshly brewed Darjeeling, "What business does an angel have with me?"

The child lord slyly peaked at the mythical being in front of him. For all his supposed power, the man looked barely out of his teens, with wavy black hair and wide green eyes that spoke of innocence and wisdom far more than power. In fact, the being in front of him looked the most harmless of civilians- a bright eyed young man, hoping to make his way in the world. It was hard to admit that the person in front of him was anything but. He wears innocence well, Ciel reluctantly thought. The angel's natural ability to make people instinctively trust him was as dangerous as Sebastian's darkly sinful aura.

An angel, a different part of his mind breathed in wonder. Never had he thought that angels could be real. In his mind, he knew that as demons existed, the possibility that other creatures could also be real had crossed his mind. He had quickly dismissed the thought, opting to focus on the reality in front of him. Now, his doubts have been dragged out from the dredges of his mind and reexamined.

When Sebastian reluctantly brought news of an angel on his doorstep, he was shocked beyond words. He was never particularly religious- having a demon in employment shatters religious beliefs fairly quickly- but angels? Nonetheless, his nobility training quickly kicked in, and he had Sebastian show the guest to the dining room for afternoon tea.

"I am sure that you are content with your butler's services," the man began with a light twitch of his lips, "but unfortunately, I must insist on being here. Since you have already had contact with… _our_ world," he waved his and towards Sebastian, "I can fully explain to you my task and what it entails."

"Humans contain souls, as you know. Every soul is born pure, and the course of their lives colors them, so to speak. Every action, every word they do affects the outcome of their soul by tainting it in a different color. At their deaths, the souls contained within humans will be released and sent to heaven or hell depending on how light or dark it is. At least- that is what happens to most souls, discounting those lost to the demons and their insatiable appetite." the angel sipped on his tea daintily. Ciel observed the angel with keen eyes- the man was raised as a noble, he thought with certainty. He carried himself as one and had manners befitting a lord.

"In order to prevent certain key human souls from turning completely black or remain colorless, two beings are assigned to watch over each soul- guardians, so to speak. Not every human has the privilege of having guardians since there are far too many humans for the guardians to monitor. In fact…" He paused, before reaching for a small book in his jacket. He ignored the slight tensing of Sebastian's shoulders at his sudden movement and flipped to a page.

"Ciel Phantomhive… You were indeed assigned two guardians at birth, but it appears they both perished in your defense roughly three years ago- on the same night your parents' souls were released. How odd." The man tilted his head curiously to one side. How curious, he thought. Demons and angels- no matter how low their rank- can hardly be defeated by mortals, but for both to perish at the same time, a powerful being must have been involved. Still, he continued. "From then on, you have been without guardians, which lead to your soul being corrupted at a rapid pace for a month until a new guardian was forcefully summoned and bound to you," he said, glancing towards the butler. Ciel's face grew stormy, unwilling to discuss That Night.

"Your butler accepted you because your soul was already corrupted, and you were without guardians to defend you. I suppose he found it intriguing that a soul as bright as yours was unbound and already quite dark." the man read. "However, that ends now. The Fates- the higher beings who are in control of the birth, death, and life of souls- have discovered this imbalance and have sent me to correct it. I believe you may know them as three old hags who love to play with strings," he snorted.

Ciel blinked- the Greeks did not make them up? He was quite certain that if they were real, they would object to being called hags.

Sebastian looked amused at the callous way the angel was insulting the gods.

The man closed the book with a quiet puff. "In order to keep the balance between the two guardians to prevent a sway in power towards white or black, the guardians must be equal in power. That is as close to a law as law exists in well, our universe. For every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. Everything has a price, and the toll must be matched exactly. That is why I am here and not just some green-behind-the-ears cherub." The man's voice was laced with irritation.

"Thank you so much, for forcing me to come down here," he grumbled sarcastically under his breath. Sebastian's lips twitched upwards. Ciel looked contemplative.

"What do you mean you and not some cherub?" Ciel asked in confusion.

"Well, the task of guarding humans usually falls to the low ranking recruits of both demons and angels. In other words, the imps and the cherubs. Typically, angels run on a mission system. Older and more powerful angels get their pick of missions first before the others. Thus, the ones who pick last are usually handed tasks like these. Demons of his caliber" the angel pointed casually at Sebastian "do not usually visit Earth. Neither do angels of my rank, in fact. Missions of this nature are long, tedious, boring, and irritating for all parties involved. Normally, those who return from the missions do not like to talk about them."

Ciel raised an eyebrow, but the angel refused to elaborate.

"Normally, I would remain invisible as a guardian, but since your butler has hidden in plain sight, I will have to do so as well." The man added. "That is not to say that you are without benefits. While I will never allow myself to be bound as a servant, I am obligated to keep your soul from being completely corrupted. Of course, my abilities are different from Sebastians since the two of us are opposites in nature. I suppose with my presence here, you will not have to worry about your contract… ending prematurely." For a split second, Sebastian's eyes flashed in anger at the angel's statement, drawing a quiet snort from the other deity. As if he would let the demon have his meal before dinner time.

Ciel mused over the decision. Judging by Sebastian's reaction, accepting the offer would shift their balance in power- in a direction that would not favor the demon. Furthermore, he would obtain a failsafe in case anything unexpected happens, and his death comes early. He would be a fool to turn down an offer for even more divine power. However, the fact that he did not have absolute control over that power was troubling for the little lord.

"What would you do," Ciel began slowly, "if what is "best" for me goes against my wishes?"

The angel raised an eyebrow and set down his teacup elegantly. "I would compromise. If that fails, I would try to find an alternative solution that satisfies both situations. If that fails as well, I would allow it as long as it does not turn your soul completely back. Even if it is one shade off from black, my job would still be complete. My mission simply dictates that I am not to allow you to die before your proper time, and to keep your soul from being lost completely." The man said nonchalantly.

"How do I know you will not tell others of the Phantomhive family's secrets?" Ciel asked again, mentally adding more insurance against death on his list of benefits.

"I don't care for humans," the angel said bluntly. "If it provides you with a degree of comfort, you are free to bind me into secrecy. However, I will not allow my freedom to be confined."

Ciel mulled over the decision some more before speaking. "That is acceptable. You may live here as a part Phantomhive Household."

The angel smiled, seemingly making the entire room lighter just by his presence. Ciel's heart skipped a beat- to him; it has been many years since he has last felt such familiar warmth. Sebastian hissed lowly behind Ciel- clearly, he did not enjoy the overwhelming sense of peace and happiness.

"We shall have to find a backstory and an occupation for you," Ciel steepled his fingers. "Do you have a name you prefer to be called? What can you do?"

"I presumed that backstories are your specialty, since you managed to integrate a stranger without any sort of background or history into your family just fine," the angel said pointedly. "As for specialties, the question is, what can't I do. I doubt there is any occupation I am not adept in. I have lived for a very long time, and I do not squander my time."

"Hmm," Ciel muttered, his acute mind proposing and rejecting numerous stories and occupations for angel. "Are you familiar with academia?" He asked.

"Quite," the guest agreed. "You could name any major history event, and I could probably tell you an accurate first-hand account of it from me or one of my brethren. As for religious studies, I assure you that you can find no better tutor for the position," he said dryly. "Gabriel did say that Mary's reaction of being told of the "good news" was unexpected and rather priceless. There were tears involved. "

Sebastian chuckled quietly. Even Ciel appreciated the slight humor.

"Name wise, I have not made an alias for this mission yet," the man replied in negative. "Obviously, I cannot go by my true name without raising suspicion," the man said wryly.

He is that powerful? Ciel thought.

"I see…" Ciel wondered. "By the terms of the contract, I gave Sebastian his name, but without a binding contract, you will have to choose your own name. It should be fairly easy to find a cover story for you, though some documents will have to be forged. The household is already rather full, and the only position that is unfilled for the moment is that of a tutor. Currently Sebastian is doubling as a tutor and a butler, but perhaps you can take over some of his tasks."

"That should not be a problem, though I am sure that your butler is an acceptable tutor as well." he shrugged. "So I suppose you I should refer to you as Sebastian this time? Or would you prefer something else?" the angel snickered.

"Sebastian Michaelis, yes," The demon's lips quirked upwards.

"Michaelis? You chose _Michaelis?_" The angel nearly gaped at Ciel, ignoring Sebastian's smirk. The demon's last name had _not_ been including in the briefing. Damn those clerks, he mentally cursed. It appears that the joke is on him this time around.

"He was the one who chose Michaelis as a last name, not me. Is there a problem?" Ciel raised an eyebrow at the angel's exaggerated reaction.

"Yes," the angel's face twisted into one of displeasure. At Ciel's inquiring gaze, he continued reluctantly. "It appears _your_ demon stole _my_ name."

There was a long silence in the hall.

"I beg your pardon?" Ciel asked hesitantly, not sure if he heard the angel correctly. Did he say his name was _Michaelis_?

"What kind of demon picks a name like Michaelis?" the angel sniffed haughtily.

"Then you are…?" Ciel's eyes widened as his brain rebooted.

"Michael, the archangel second only to God? Commander of the divine armies?" the angel, now identified as Michael, said sarcastically. "Well yes. What do you expect? Whoever summoned your butler was idiotic enough to pick _Malphas_ of all demons, and the Fates demanded that someone of equal power be sent. There is no one of equivalent power to Malphas but me."

"You do flatter me so, _Michael_," Sebastian said smoothly, demonic eyes glowing with satisfaction and amusement.

"Don't give yourself too much credit, _Malphas_." Michael sniffed.

"And here I thought that true names were to be used in absolute secrecy," Sebastian rebutted.

"You know full and well that Michael is my title, not my name, just as Malphas is not yours." Michael replied.

Ciel merely watched the two in interest before clearing his throat. "You two are well acquainted?"

"Acquaintance would be putting it lightly, Young Master," Sebastian said smoothly. The angel bared his teeth at the butler.

"We have met before," Michael said. "On the battlefields," he added.

Sebastian inclined his head in agreement. More often than not, the two of them commanded the demonic and angelic armies- respectively- in their holy wars several centuries ago. It was rumored that Michael was already commander and child soldier as a mortal. Supposedly, he singlehandedly won a war and killed an immortal before he even turned twenty. Sebastian could care less about Michael's history as a mortal. Every time they met, they would both dole out their commands and clash against each other in battle. The angel was oddly fond of tearing out his spleen and kidneys- not that it mattered anyways since body parts regenerated in less than an hour.

As for him, it was practically a crime not to gouge out those brilliantly green eyes of his.

Ciel's curiosity was not satisfied, but he would have time to pry the story out of his two servants later. Perhaps he could request lessons regarding the supernatural world once Michael started teaching him. Surely, he would need the lesson in case he encounters other divine beings.

"I suppose that is a story for a different time. You still need an alias."

Michael frowned in contemplation.

"I suppose since _Sebastian_ saw fit to borrow my name, it is only appropriate that I return the favor." Michael mused. "From this day on, you may call me Harrison Crowe, your new tutor."

Sebastian- or rather, Malphas- snorted.

"You find it quite funny, do you not, Butler Michaelis?" Harrison asked.

"As much as you do, Tutor Crowe," the demon replied smoothly.

"Explain?" Ciel half asked, half commanded.

"As I have told you, your butler's name is Malphas, the prince of hell. Since demons do not take the appearance of humans unless they have to, they usually appear as partially humanoid animals. In this case, Malphas' demon form is a crow." Michael explained.

"I see," Ciel said while appreciating the humor.

"I suppose I should add 'Young Master' to my previous statement?" Harrison asked.

"It would be appropriate," Ciel agreed, hardly believing that he had the prince of hell and the most powerful archangel in his employment. He knew that Sebastian was powerful, but the prince of hell?

"In that case, Sebastian, I trust that you will introduce Harrison to the other staff members- properly. Harrison, if possible, your lessons may start at your discretion. If there are any teaching aides that you require, you may speak to me."

"Of course, young master." The newly crowned Harrison smiled. "I suspect that it will not be a problem at all." After all, how do you illustrate the burning of Constantinople with chalk?

* * *

Mandy: This is yet another cross-over plot bunny that bit me a while ago. I will explain more about the system of Soul Guarding in later chapters along with how Harry came to be an angel. Yes, Harry kept his magic. Yes, he remembers his time as a human. Will Harry be overpowered? It's hard to say, but since he has to be equal to Sebastian in power, if Sebastian is overpowered, so is Harry.

The title "Midnight Rain" is inspired by the feeling of well, a quiet rainstorm at midnight (or more like two to three AM in the morning) when everyone is asleep, and the rain is just quietly falling. That sense of dark and quiet tranquility is what inspired me to write this story. I have no guarantees that it will be finished, but the over all plot will follow the manga. I didn't watch the anime, so as tempting as it is to add in a psychotic angel or two, I won't be doing that.

As my old readers know, I'm quite busy with real life, and I don't update often (if at all). Thus, please do not hurry me. I only write this down because a plot bunny bit me. I think I will try to continue this, but I don't know if I'll be able to finish it. Rather than let this rot in a forgotten folder somewhere, I decided to upload it.


	2. II: Music of the Night

Midnight Rain Chapter II: Music of the Night

Michael- now Harrison- thought that the Phantomhive household was certainly… rowdy. He ducked absentmindedly as another tree truck soared over his head courtesy of Finny, who tripped and skidded on the detergent bubbles from the laundry room.

Really, he just wanted a peaceful stroll through the gardens after breakfast. Lessons did not begin until nine, and he already had his plans made the night before. To his surprise, there was no garden, only a barren piece of land in front of him could hardly be described as habitable. In fact, it looked more like a scene from the world wars- filled with uprooted trees and dead plants.

Harrison paused. To think of it, the world wars had not occurred in this dimension yet. He would have to be careful not to let his knowledge of other dimensions slip.

Since the scenery was unsuited for his morning tea, Harrison carefully made his way back to his quarters near the library. On his way there, he stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall to avoid Sebastian, who was a but a blur.

How he manages to fool anyone is a mystery, the tutor thought, as he the demon sprinted quicker than a car past highway speed limit. If he had been going at this speed in Heaven, the traffic angels would have given him a ticket in a heartbeat. Not that Malphas would visit Heaven anyways, but it was the principle of the matter.

Well, at least the staff accepted him readily enough, though that was a separate ordeal in itself.

* * *

A clap ran throughout the kitchen; the sound was slightly muffled by the white gloves adorned on the hands of the clapper.

"Everyone, gather here please," Sebastian's voice rang loudly, calling the Phantomhive staff together. The majority of them were already in the kitchen- Bard, who was busy preparing the vegetables for tomorrow's soup, Mey-Rin, who was drying the silverware, and Tanaka, who was enjoying tea.

The only one missing was Finny, and he was pruning the bushes near the east wing of the manor. The slight boy perked up at Sebastian's voice and easily jumped through the open window- the only one in the kitchens.

"Yes, Mister Sebastian?" Finny asked. "Ah, who is that?" He pointed at Harrison, who smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

"Ah, he is why I asked to talk with all of you today," Sebastian gently pushed Harrison forward, which the angel did not appreciate in the slightest. He quickly brushed Sebastian's hands off of his shoulders.

Malphas' touch would probably give me hives or something, Harrison thought absently.

"This is Harrison Crowe, the Young Master's new tutor. He will be a permanent member of the household starting today," Sebastian continued with false cheer. He didn't mind Michael's action, amusing as it was.

Immediately, chatter overwhelmed the butler. Belying their gasps of surprise, the staff's gaze sharpened as they attempted to decipher the real identity and skills of the man before them. They knew that Ciel would not hire just any tutor; undoubtedly, Crowe knew how to defend himself and the household. Their lord would not hire anyone who could not protect the Phantomhive name. The question is- where did he come from? Can be he trusted?

"Ah," Harrison began, falling easily into his role as a hopeful- but hesitant- human. "My name is Harrison Crowe; I was hired by the Young Master to be his tutor. I believe my father is an acquaintance of the Earl's. I graduated from Oxford University and went abroad to travel and further my education. I only recently returned to England; when the Earl found out that I was in search for a job, he hired me as his tutor. My family's manor is quite far from here, so I will be residing here as a permanent member of the staff. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." The angel smiled winsomely, finishing with a small bow. He smiled, hoping that his natural ability to make humans trust him would shine through. It was not unusual for reclusive third or fourth sons of nobility to work for other noble families. While they would not be inheriting the family title, it was expected for them to be of some use or contribution to the family; making or maintaining connections was an accepted occupation.

In this particular instance, a Lord Crowe did exist within Ciel's contact network- undoubtedly the handiwork of the ever-meddlesome Fates. The Crowe family was not particularly well known in the upper echelons of society; they worked from the shadows, expanding Britain's intelligence network and repairing its connections. When Ciel approached the Lord, the elderly man agreed in a heartbeat. Deception is merely a part of their daily life; besides, Harrison will not receive any inheritance from the Crowe household.

A name is, after all, just a name.

His introduction earned him 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' from the staff. While they were certainly proficient in their skills of choice, the universities were typically reserved for rich and powerful nobles or perhaps wealthy merchants.

"A scholar- wow!" Finny's eyes sparkled as he shook Harrison's hands enthusiastically. "My name is Finnian- call me Finny! I am the gardener here."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Harrison replied pleasantly. He knew the boy in front of him was anything but normal. If he was anything less than an angel, Finny would have fractured his fingers by now. As such, he had to exert an equal force to Finny in order to keep his bones and musculature intact.

Sebastian continued despite Finny's enthusiastic interruption. He neglected to tell the angel that Finny's strength was immense- for a human. Of course, he did so on purpose- for entertainment purposes. He was unsurprised when Michael failed to shriek in pain, though he supposed he should expect no less from his rival. "As Finny said, he is the gardener here. Bard is our resident chef, Mey-Rin is our maid, and Tanaka is our butler."

"I see," Harrison mused. As if he would fall into such an elementary trick. The blond- Bard- had his chest puffed out in pride at being called a chef. Then, he turned around and did something that surprised everyone: he turned around and scolded Sebastian.

"Sebastian, the young master told you to introduce us _properly_," the angel said sternly. "That was not a proper introduction."

The Phantomhive servants looked at each other in confusion. The introduction seemed proper enough.

"I'll eat my books if they don't at least double as security detail since this is Earl Phantomhive's household we are talking about," the tutor's voice held a hint of irritation.

Sebastian smirked, which was answered by a scowl from the tutor. Neither of them noticed nor cared that the tension in the room was returning in full force.

"Well, I certainly thought that it was proper," the butler shrugged elegantly, echoing the servants' thoughts.

"You and your games," he grumbled. "Really, you haven't changed at all even after all this time. I believe this falls into need-to-know basis, Sebastian."

"Does it?"

"It does- most certainly," the young man sniffed. As an afterthought, Harrison added in a low tone- far lower than what humans can perceive- "If you particularly enjoy pain, you can continue playing your games. I would gladly pry those memories from that granite hard skull of yours."

"Very well," Sebastian conceded reluctantly after a few moments. The Young Master specifically ordered him not to transform into a demon in the manor, but Michael didn't have such restrictions placed on him. He would be at a disadvantage if they fought. After all, Michael was just that special brand of stubborn. He wouldn't hesitate to transform and then wipe the humans' memories afterwards.

"Bard is a retired veteran from the states," Sebastian began. The subject of their conversation merely narrowed his eyes at the suspiciously young tutor. In return, Harrison cocked his head in thought; did the United States have a conflict recently? He certainly could not remember any wars in the current time period, though World War One should start in the next couple of decades.

"Mey-Rin is a sniper with extreme far-sightedness." Harrison gave an interested 'hm' in contemplation. Far- sightedness would be quite useful in her situation, though it appears that her glasses are ill-fitting. The maid's gaze sharpened, her bright red eyes practically glaring a hole into the tutor.

"Finnian has superhuman strength, and Tanaka is well versed in martial arts," Sebastian finished. Harrison raised an eyebrow at that. He knew not to judge a book by its cover, but even he would be hard pressed to believe that Finnian could do any harm. Well, until the boy shook his hands.

"I trust that you do not need an introduction for me?" Sebastian joked darkly.

"No, I know more than enough about you than I can possibly care to," Harrison waved away Sebastian's sarcastic question. Indeed. He could probably put together a stellar resume for Sebastian- in summary, a demonic, irritating pain in the ass who can't seem to stop playing mind games, no matter how trivial they are.

The staff's gaze turned from wary to curious. Since this mysterious stranger somehow managed to earn Sebastian's stamp of approval to work in the manor, he will most likely not pose a danger to the Young Master. More importantly, he knew Sebastian from before he came to the manor.

"There is no need to look so hostile," Harrison cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. He dropped his act and stood straighter. His gaze changed, and he took on an aura of confidence and professionalism. His look sharpened, and he dropped his guise of innocence. He looked each of them in the eyes. "I am indeed hired by Earl Phantomhive; I am an old acquaintance of Sebastian's"-as pained as he was to admit it- "before he came to be a butler, and our capabilities are more or less the same. I will protect the Earl to the best of my abilities. No harm shall come to the Earl while I am with him."

* * *

The staff quickly learned that the newcomer was really just as capable as Sebastian- if a bit more standoffish. On the flip side, the tutor was much friendlier by comparison. However, they also learned that the tutor often enjoyed solitude in the library or in the gardens. He was polite and kind, but also distant in a peculiar sort of way. They did not pry too much into his behavior; after all, they can't exactly boast about their normality either.

Harrison took one glance at the grandfather clock in the corner- half past eight. Sebastian looks like he could use some help, he mentally laughed. It was beyond demeaning for a prince of hell to be in his position- posing as a mortal while doing menial chores. However, it seems that the demon was putting up with this mundane game voluntarily. Why he would was anyone's guess. In fact, Sebastian looked like he could use four more legs and five more hands. While Harrison certainly found the situation entertaining, he supposed he ought to help the poor demon- if only out of respect for the warrior who have crossed blades with him countless times.

Of course, that doesn't make the demon any less unbearable. It just meant that he had to learn to coexist with that irritating, persisting, thorn in his side.

Harrison paused in his steps; it would certainly be a bonus if he could earn the staff's trust though.

Of course, he will tease the demon mercilessly for the next millennia. If he has to live as a mortal for the next half a century, he's dragging Malphas with him- and extracting all the blackmail he can. Perhaps that would change the demon's usual target of violence from his eyes to his tongue the next time they meet on the battlefields.

It's tiresome to navigate the battlefield with empty sockets.

"_Sebastian_, perhaps I could lend a hand," Harrison snickered as he rolled up his sleeves and stalked over.

"That would not be required," Sebastian said stiffly, sounding rather displeased at requiring help from the angel, though the various limitations on his demonic power by Ciel hindered him greatly.

"Nonsense," Harrison waved away Sebastian's reluctance with a snicker. "Of course you do. You still have the Young Master's breakfast to prepare- on top of everything you're doing."

Sebastian took a quick peek at the clock and pressed his lips thin. Nonetheless, he nodded reluctantly.

"If only you can call some imps or goblins up to help you. They're much more used to demeaning tasks such as this," the angel shrugged elegantly. Michael glanced at the ruined teacups with a sigh. This will not do- not at all. He shot a reparo at the ruined porcelain. In less than a minute, Harrison had all the teacups fixed and levitating before him. With another flick, he stacked and sent them all stacked neatly into the cupboard.

Sebastian ignored the jab at his current occupation and barely glanced at the supposed miracle as he went to clean the counters. He knew that angel was a Magical; it was an open secret in their world. Even when Magicals pass away, their abilities follow them into death. The Magicals that do stay in their world- instead of passing directly into reincarnation- tend to cause great ripples in their community.

"Young Master does not appreciate magic in the manor," was the only thing the demon had to say.

"What? No 'thank you'?" Harrison shrugged. "I'm just helping out; as if I'd piece those cups back together by hand. Besides, you could do anything short of sprouting wings, and they would still think that you are human. It is ridiculous how obvious you are about your true nature." He paused for a bit- perhaps he should look into the contract between his charge and the demon. A normal summoning ritual for a prince of hell would require at least a dozen summons, but to appear for the promised soul of one? Something doesn't match up.

"Mortals are quite blind, aren't they? Their imaginations are stiff, and they discount what they see for what they "know" to be true or false," Sebastian smirked. "I could do everything short of turning into my true form, and these silly mortals would somehow conjure an explanation for my capabilities."

"Still, you do an absolutely horrid imitation of normalcy. You are about as normal as a purple flying monkey in London," Harrison insisted as he flicked a hand and sent the dried plates into the cabinet as well. "Do you even remember being human?" The man snorted. "On second thought, don't answer that."

Sebastian would deny it until the day he died, but he was glad that there was another person who had half a brain in the household- even if it was his eternal archrival.

* * *

Lessons that day were mostly spent reviewing the materials taught- Harrison took his job quite seriously and insisted on a full syllabus of Sebastian's teaching thus far.

"Young Master, I realize that academia is not high on your priorities- least of all Latin- but many languages are based off of Latin. There is no need to pronounce Latin, but knowing the root words is a must." Harrison said disapprovingly.

Ciel grumbled and turned his chair around petulantly.

"If anything, I should be teaching you German too," the tutor crossed his arms. "Knowing German can prove to be quite valuable."

"Why?" Ciel turned around and asked, curiosity obvious in his voice.

Harrison blinked and checked the calendar on Ciel's wall- He was in the year 1889. World War One had not started quite yet. World War One would be past Queen Victoria's Era, and past that of his son's as well. Given the time period, he was relatively sure that Ciel would live to see the start of the war.

"Ah, forgive me." the tutor apologized mildly.

"Why must I learn German?" Ciel demanded an answer.

"Young Master, surely you must know that tensions between England and Germany are high," the angel said reluctantly. Ciel really lived up to his moniker of the Queen's Watchdog in more ways than one; he was like a dog with a bone. "By the bounds of Noblesse Oblige, your task knows no international boundaries. It would be wise to learn multiple languages in preparation."

"So you believe that the Germans will clash with the English in the future?" Ciel continued with a raised eyebrow.

Harrison shrugged. "If you must have an answer, yes."

Ciel hummed in thought and gave no more reply.

"Where was I? Ah, yes. Latin." Ciel flinched- clearly, he was trying to divert his tutor's attention. Harrison bit back a chuckle. Mature as he was, Ciel is still a child- at least in that aspect.

"Latin is not as difficult as you perceive it to be," Harrison said. "It appears your text for Latin is unnecessarily hard; it is not suitable for beginners. There is no need for you to own a text for Latin; I can easily teach you what you need to know and write words for you to conjugate. If you have the time or want to pursue the subject further, you may search the library for references. There is no need to rush Latin; having a good base in Latin worth your time."

Ciel sighed in relief. Languages were definitely not his forte. Give him a chess set, and he can trounce anyone, but show him a Latin text? He'd sooner toss it in the hearth.

"For today, I would like to teach you the second person present tense conjugation of verbs. After this lesson, the assignment will be to practice conjugating verbs in both first and second person present tense," the tutor wrote a quick outline of the day's Latin lesson on the board.

His student, however, could only groan.

* * *

The early afternoon time slot was spent in a most… entertaining manner.

Harrison watched with apathetic eyes as a rather odd Chinese martial artist pinwheeled his arms and spouted a number of random words strung together.

Really, a technique is hardly useful if one must spend thirty seconds prior declaring its name. He could probably guess several techniques just piecing together words that vaguely related to nature.

Apparently all this was done in order to see Sebastian defeated? And to think the spoiled little lord had been spending an exorbitant amount of time and resources to find someone- anyone- capable of defeating his butler from hell.

It is all a bit silly, he thought with a snicker. Considering the number of times he dumped _that_ particular prince of hell on his ass, Harrison didn't think that defeating Sebastian was a Herculean task. Of course, Sebastian could do the same, but the demon was severely handicapped at the moment. Little moral dilemmas like fairness fail to sway him nowadays; no tactic is underhanded as long as it works. However, mortals are fragile as glass and about as transparent, so maybe he ought to concede that the task will pose some difficulty to one without supernatural abilities.

Without further ado, Sebastian bypassed the Chinese man's blurring arms and went straight for a chop to the back of the neck. Neat, quick, and elegant. Harrison grudgingly approved.

As a side note, the tutor wondered if it was healthy for joints to spin so quickly.

"And that is how it is, Young Master. Because I won, please do today's review and tomorrow's pre-lesson." The butler smiled.

"Che," the young lord pouted and crossed his arms. Harrison's shoulders shook with laughter; the expression Ciel made was adorable.

"Well, I do suppose you have a hundred conjugations to do," Harrison shrugged. "Tomorrow's lesson should be third person present tense conjugations. They are not too different from what we reviewed today. Since you grasped today's lesson fairly well, I believe we do not need to spend more time practicing."

If anything, Ciel sulked even more.

In a lower voice, Harrison leaned down to whisper, "If you do them all perfectly, I'll give you a lesson in _our_ world, alright? On whatever topic you wish to explore."

Well, the child is certainly easy to appease, Harrison thought with a quiet chuckle as Ciel instantly perked up. He is really no different than James Sirius- only a lot more spoiled and much less athletic.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he absentmindedly accepted a questionable drink from Ciel.

"What did you say to him?" the demon asked curiously while downing the contents of the glass. It could possibly pass as lemonade if one squinted. In all the time he has known the insufferable little brat, he has had to cajole him to even attend lessons, and yet Michael managed to get him _eager_ to do work? Maybe the rumors of the angel performing miracles for party favors are not overblown. Dionysus always did throw the best parties, he reminisced with a bit of fondness.

"Nothing in particular- just a bit of an incentive to get his work done." Harrison shrugged. "For all his maturity, Ciel is still a child- his curiosity is exploitable."

Sebastian was not quite sure how to respond since he could hardly even remember being human, let alone caring for human children. He has long since lost his humanity, and children only equated to food for him. What they do and how they think is of no consequence to him.

"By the way, Young Master, what was in that drink?" Sebastian turned to Ciel. The smile on Sebastian's face started twitching. "The heartburn won't stop."

Harrison snickered with Ciel. The tutor idly picked up the glass and let a drop of the drink fall on his tongue. A mortal drink that can even give Malphas heartburn? He must be sure to send Lilith the recipe with a postcard from this dimension. Interdimensional travel was not uncommon, but it was the thought that counted. She wasn't all that bad; she would probably cook up a cauldron of that stuff even if it means Malphas will be after her head for the next decade or so. Yes, he got along swimmingly with Lilith.

But really, he digressed.

Harrison smacked his lips lightly to taste the drink. It was very, very sweet- perhaps one of the sweetest drinks he has ever tasted.

"It's Tanaka's special lemonade. I took one sip of it and deemed it unsafe for consumption," Ciel said succinctly.

The smile on Sebastian's face froze. And you gave it to me? That brat, he thought angrily.

Clever, Harrison thought. He flashed the child a knife-like smirk behind Sebastian's back. He greatly approved Ciel's action.

Ciel clearly caught onto Harrison's mirth. He smirked right back.

"Speaking of which… what are you lot still doing here?" Sebastian turned to the other Phantomhive servants, who were still crowing over Sebastian's victory. Where the Chinese master disappeared to was anyone's guess. Harrison presumed that someone led him to a carriage back to the nearest town.

"Finni, have you finished weeding the garden yet? Mey-Rin, how are the shirts in the laundry? Bard, are dinner preparations in progress?" Sebastian asked. He responded to their stuttering with a sigh. "If you have time to loaf around, then please do your jobs," he ordered firmly.

"Sebastian, there was a call from _him_ from Italy," Ciel said.

"From Claus?"

"Yes, we talked about this- come." Ciel got up and reached for his cane.

"As you wish." Sebastian followed suit- like a good dog, Harrison noted darkly. He absentmindedly trailed after in the same direction, as the library was close to Ciel's study.

"Tutor Crowe?" Tanaka tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Harrison turned around to face the elderly man. The other butler merely looked at him unblinkingly, as if trying to discern something from his appearance alone. Harrison did not mind the staring; he did not fidget, and he had nothing to hide. He met the gaze politely and unflinchingly.

After a long while, Tanka seemed to have come to his conclusions. The man inclined his head, smiled, and said, "Please take care of the Young Master, and welcome to the Phantomhive Manor."

It was as if he had just passed some sort of test. Harrison had the oddest feeling that the staff would not bother him any further.

* * *

"How in the world did this happen?" Sebastian asked with the devil's own smile plastered on his face.

"I have no idea how you could have possibly expected anything less," Harrison remarked drily, a book the size of his body trunk tucked under one arm. Like Sebastian, he had come running to the kitchens the moment he heard an explosion. He thought that perhaps an accident had occurred… but what happened was even worse. Who would try to cook meat with a flamethrower of all things? Bard must have taken the saying "good ol' days" a bit too seriously.

Bard's lack of common sense left Harrison baffled and disorientated. Perhaps God has left humanity alone for far too long, if evolution was breeding out intelligence. In Harrison's oh-so-humble opinion, he had scarcely ever seen any servants more incompetent than those three in front of him.

"After I finished killing the weeds, I sprinkled the weed killer, but the lid was open," Finny cried.

"I brought out and placed the guest's tea set, but then I crashed into the tea shelf with the push cart," Mey-rin sniffled.

"I set down the raw meat, and I thought that I'd cook it, but it would take too long," Bard reasoned.

The angel merely blinked incomprehensibly at them. He could see why Malphas seemed almost relieved when he agreed to help with the housework. He thought it was a trick of light- an illusion- at the time since surely, Malphas would not be pleased that his rival and part time pain in the ass has now turned into his full time pain in the ass. The last thing Malphas wanted to do was to share a residence with the person sitting at the top of his hit list, but given the current situation, Harrison decided that Malphas' relief was probably not an illusion.

He was mildly impressed at how proficient these mortals were at driving Malphas up a wall. Perhaps he can take cues from them.

"I understand," Sebastian said with the patience of a saint, "I will finish setting up here. It's fine, so please calm down."

"Sebastian, when is the guest arriving?" Harrison asked with a snort, momentarily snapping the butler out of his thoughts.

"Two hours," was the short reply. Harry pursed his lips and surveyed the destruction before him with keen eyes. It would be neigh impossible for a mortal to turn this mess into something presentable in two measly hours.

Turning around, Sebastian sighed. "You all should follow Tanaka-san's example and act a little more like adults-"

'That's it,' an epiphany suddenly reached the demon. "Please be quiet, everyone. From now on, please listen closely to what I have to say, and then carry out the plan I have formed."

'Ah,' Harry followed the direction of his gaze and to Tanaka's cup of green tea.

"Smart," Harry grudgingly said to Sebastian while taking off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves. The demon took the complement with a dark smirk.

"You are coming?" The demon's lips barely moved.

Harrison rolled his eyes. "And miss out on the free show? There are betting pools open on us, you know- on both sides. Really, you'd think they have better things to do. I'll be putting _my_ meddlesome brats through their paces when I get back. I would suggest you do the same." It was not every day that the divine army was referred to as "brats", but in Harrison's opinion, they gossiped worse than housewives.

Sebastian scoffed, but a slight twitch of his lips belayed his mild amusement.

"Bard, come with me to the kitchens. Mey-Rin, please fetch the ceramic tea set we imported from Japan. Lastly, Finny, please hurry to the gardening store to purchase some iris seeds, lotus seeds, gravel, and a number of assorted items. I will write a list for you." Sebastian pulled out a pad of lined paper and began scribbling hurriedly on it.

"What menu are you planning to make, Sebasatian?" Harry asked with a sigh as he matched the butler's long strides.

"Beef donburi with green tea mille-feuille," he replied curtly. He covered ground quickly, his long strides making short work of the manor's halls.

"Hm… You would need an appetizer with that for completeness, and the spices on the rice and the beef have to be excellent. Beef donburi is a rather humble dish to serve. Perhaps a hearty soup would could double as an appetizer. I believe we have some mushrooms, salmon, and stock?" Harry asked.

"Yes, for the baked salmon this week," Sebastian replied absentmindedly, his thoughts elsewhere.

"It would be possible to replace the cut tomorrow, no?" Harry pointed out.

Sebastian nodded, his pace towards to kitchens quickening. Time was running short.

"Excellent- then I will handle the appetizer and the spices. I believe miso-poached salmon with soup would be sufficient to start the course. The spices need to be toasted, grounded, and marinated with the meat- hopefully the cut that Bard burnt will still be raw enough on the inside." Harry said. "I am not certain if there are dried bonito flakes in the kitchen; you would need it to make the dashi for the beef donburi. Perhaps you should check."

Sebastian nodded in acceptance- and perhaps a very, very small tinge of gratitude. In emergency situations like this, it was a relief to have some help- no matter the source.

Harry poured on one last ladle of simmering stock onto the salmon before removing it from heat and onto a plate. He carefully took apart the slices of fish at their seams and stacked them in layers with the mushrooms. Gently, he finished the dish with a ladle of flavor-rich stock.

The spices have already been toasted, grinded, and rubbed into beef (which while not raw- was thankfully still workable). Harry checked the clock in the kitchen- forty five minutes until their esteemed guest arrives.

Preparations for the mille feuille and the remainder of the doburi were also complete. Sebastian washed his hands with a tired breath of relief. Thankfully, they did have dried bonito flakes in the kitchen: Tanaka's love of Japanese cuisine was a blessing in disguise.

Bard and Mey-rin have long since retreated to the side wall of the kitchen- well away from the two supernaturals bustling this way and that. They watched in awe as Harrison and Sebastian's efficiency exceeded theirs by exponential amounts. Wasn't Harrison a tutor? How did he become so adept at cooking?

"Sebastian, I brought the gravel and the other items you wanted," Finny called out from above ground. "Is that so? Good work. Harrison and I will do the finishing touches then. After this, please rest for now and act like _adults_," Sebastian smiled. Harrison was impressed by the amount of terror that smile instilled in the servants.

"Thanks for your help," Harrison said to each of them while gently dabbling away sweat from his brows. If Sebastian's smile was the darkest depths of the ocean, then Harrison's was the brightest ray of the sun in comparison. "I made a couple extra servings of the appetizer since the cut of salmon was larger than what I needed. If you would like, you all are free to have them, but please do not touch the ones meant for the Young Master and his guest. It would be best to have them while they are hot" Harrison smiled and gently picked up the bag of supplies the Finny left on the counter in his hurry to the food. He would heat up the food magically when it was time to serve. Heating food by magic will not break down the protein structure in the meat any further. As an afterthought, Harrison thought to add some miscellaneous blessings to the food too- just to help the natural flavors along.

Without further ado, Harry made towards the ruined garden with Sebastian. They would have to set the rock garden while the beef marinated.

"How do you want to set up the rock garden?" Harrison asked while running up the stairs. He reluctantly held out a hand. Granted, he would have to scrub it thoroughly with disinfectants afterwards, but he did not have any paper on him at the moment.

Sebastian looked at the outstretched hand with an unreadable glance and began drawing the layout he had in mind on Harrison's palm. Clearly, he enjoyed physical contact as much as the angel did- which was never (or at least not with _that_ demon).

"I see," Harrison said. He quickly projected an image of the proposed layout in front of them. "Is this accurate?"

"Yes," Sebastian replied. Mentally, the demon was a bit puzzled and just a bit paranoid about the angel's help. He expected Michael to sit back and watch him struggle in his task- this was not within the scope of his cover as a tutor. He had no reason to help, yet he matched Sebastian's effort to resolve the matter. It was confusing, really- this angel's inability to cease contradicting himself. After all, why would the immortal not take every opportunity he can to extract amusement out of someone he hates with every fiber of his being?

"Excellent. I will handle the lotus and iris- life is an element that responds much more favorably to me than to you," Harrison said casually. Demons are much more accustomed to death than to life; life stemming from them would last less than a day at best. To live such a tainted life would be torturous for the animal brought forth- a curse of sorts.

Sebastian scoffed. He only needed the plants to grow for an hour and a half- what they experience within the span of that time is irrelevant. They're _plants_, for Hell's sake. A thought suddenly came to him in the midst of chaos. "Should you not be attending to the Young Master and his work?"

Harrison snorted quietly. Besides being more possessive than a dog over a bone, demons were notoriously prideful. Demons possess all seven of the cardinal sins and a multitude of other vices. Malphas was no exception to that rule; even in his confined form, he takes great pride in the perfection he presents in the name of the Phantomhives. Harrison's lips twitched at the thought of Sebastian _preening_ with pride. Which of course- makes it all the more fun to stomp all over the demon's delicate sensitivities.

In truth, what he said was not incorrect; life is the element that belongs to angels. Only beings of divine can create life. Demons and reapers can end life, but only angels can create them. Particularly powerful demons like Malphas can _borrow_ life, or perhaps regurgitate it, but not _create_ it.

"Yes, perhaps," Harrison said absently. "It is after-lessons work designed to test his competence in the material taught. If I held his hands through the entirety of the work, then what difference would that make to his learning progress?"

"Perhaps you would rather the Young Master err in his endeavors?" Sebastian asked with a smirk.

Harrison waved his hand. "What could possibly give you such an absurd idea? Perish the thought."

The duo turned right and out through the manor's doors. The burnt and blackened landscape was as unsightly as ever.

"I will handle the plants," Harrison said while fishing out the iris seeds that Finny bought. "By the way, you might want to read up on the history of beef donburi- I'm sure the good sir would inquire about the nature of his meal," Harrison snickered. "The books are on the top section of the fourth shelf- the one closest to the windows." Of course, he would know the layout of the library by now. Hermione at least drilled that particular habit into him.

Sebastian inclined his head stiffly and set off to fetch a rake for the gravel. 'Most likely, Michael does not wish to follow through on his promise to the Young Master, whatever he promised that brat as reward.' The demon scoffed mentally. Angel or not, Michael was as predictable as ever- that irritating nuisance of a flying monkey.

* * *

Harrison sighed dried his hands with a towel. With the outdoor rock garden preparations completed- he added a mood spell on the surrounding area for good measure- he could leave Sebastian to finish the preparations for food. Harrison pulled out his pocket watch to check on the time- a little over fifteen minutes left to spare. Perhaps he should check on the Young Master.

"Young Master?" Harrison knocked on the great wooden doors of the study. He pushed them open with care only to see Ciel laboring over the Latin translations with complete focus. Harrison almost laughed at the unintentionally adorable scene before him. 'How cute,' he thought.

"Young Master, Sir Claus will be arriving in fifteen minutes. Preparations for dinner are complete," Harrison intoned. "How goes the translations?"

Ciel nodded distractedly. "Here," he said triumphantly and shoved the piece of paper in his tutor's face.

"Ah, you are done- and quite quickly too," Harrison hummed. Quickly, he skimmed over Ciel's neat cursive for any errors in conjugation. Upon reaching the bottom of the page, he frowned and went over the work a second time.

"It seems that you have no mistakes," the tutor said reluctantly. Ciel smirked arrogantly- an expression fit for the spoiled lordling. "Congratulations are in order- you are quite the model student given the right motivation. As promised you may have a lesson of whatever topic you wish to about the supernatural. Is there any particular area you wish to learn more in?"

Harrison had a feeling that he knew exactly what Ciel would ask for- clever as he is, Ciel can be quite predictable.

"Demons," came the expected reply.

"Any particular part of them, or just demons in general?" Harrison gathered the parchments and books scattered around the room and set to organizing them.

Ciel paused. "In general will do, I suppose."

"Demons it is, then. I believe you have no lessons after dinner- perhaps an hour after your meal, we can begin our lesson," Harrison smiled.

Ciel half-pouted.

"There now, you must prepare for Sir Claus' arrival. He will be here in less than ten minutes. I'm afraid any further questions will have to wait until after dinner," Harrison shrugged and began outlining the materials he wanted to cover for demonology.

'I could use some dinner too,' he thought as he helped Ciel out of the study.

* * *

Quietly, Harrison walked into the kitchens. The staff kept their promise; Ciel's andhis guest's food were reserved, and to Harrison's surprise, so was his. He picked up the bowl of soup and salmon and carefully heated it up with a gentle warming charm. Luckily for him, the rest of the staff were off watching Ciel and whoever he invited eat dinner.

How fascinating that must be, watching two people consume food, Harrison thought sarcastically. He dug through the cabinets to find a bundle of thin rice noodles. He tossed it in his soup and turned up the heat some more; he dragged up a chair and dug into his dinner with gusto.

He didn't need to eat. In Heaven, no one ate; they didn't have bodies- not really. Realistically, Heaven can hardly handle so much human waste if everyone had bodies. It would be a nightmare-logistically. Only the top angels and the ones out on missions are given physical bodies. Otherwise, they floated around as manifestations of their soul- given shape and form, but not bodily systems. It was a clever loophole for the clerks- those lazy office dwellers.

Even now he didn't need to eat; his metabolism has changed over the years, and eating is merely a formality for him now- something to appeal to his palate or to mark the passage of time. Still, he appreciated the state of food every now and then.

"Ah, I thought I heard someone in the kitchens," a voice sounded from behind him. Harrison turned around reflexively; he did not feel any human presence at all.

"Tanaka-san," he bowed at the waist elegantly.

"Ho, ho, ho," the man laughed genially. "Just Tanaka will do, though I am surprised to hear that suffix. It has been many years since I have heard it attached to my name. You are well traveled."

"I noticed that you enjoy Japanese cuisine quite frequently. I apologize if I leapt to conclusions," Harrison put down his noodles. He made no mention of the fact that Tanaka moved like a Japanese warrior. "I have ventured out to see the world, yes, after I left Oxford." The Crowes would not have hesitated to use their son- blood-related or not- as a spy. Harrison supposed he ought to drop a blessing or two over the family in return for borrowing their name.

"No, you were correct," Tanaka said as he moved to fix himself a cup of green tea. Harrison noted that his movements were graceful despite the elderly butler's age. "It is a wise decision on your part, to see the world while you have the youth to enjoy it."

In graceful, familiar movements, Tanaka set down the tea- he had fixed an extra cup- in front of the tutor and settled his own up directly opposite of that.

"Thank you," Harrison said politely, "for the tea and the company". The tea was of good quality- as expected from the Phantomhive hospitality.

Tanaka smiled, his mustache twitching upwards. "It is surely too fine a night to be wasted inside," he said.

"It is," Harrison agreed. The night was calm and mild- not cold, but not hot. The stars shone brightly, and the crickets chirped. The air was filled with the sounds of animals and the rustling of leaves. There was a certain tranquility in the night- the way life fades to shades of purple and grey and blue, the way peace settles over the air, and the moon that hangs overhead like a lantern from far away.

"But I believe the Young Master is taking dinner in the gardens with his guest, and I do not want to disturb them. Nor do I wish to take dinner in the library or in my study. I would not want to cause damage to the Young Master's collection of literature, and any mess I make in the study will only cause inconvenience to everyone else," Harrison explained.

Tanaka laughed again and accepted his explanation. For a while, the duo merely ate in silence. There was no tension between them, only a comfortable, lulling, sense of peace.

"Tanaka, if I may ask, do you miss Japan?" Harrison asked curiously.

The elderly man mulled over his question, figuring out the best way to answer. "I do, at times, but this old body will not be able to handle anymore travel. I am afraid that I will not be able to return to Japan before my body expires."

That, is a shame, Harrison thought, especially since Tanaka clearly held deep respect for the country. "Japan is beautiful_,_" he said, with respect and the smallest hint of reverence in his voice. For the first couple of centuries after his death, he traveled around the world. He went everywhere, taking his time to learn and experience what he could not when he was alive. He was released from any obligation towards the magical world when he died. He went everywhere- everywhere besides Britain; the knowledge he gleaned and the sights he saw was worth two centuries of his time.

Out of all the cultures and languages he learned, Japan was one of the ones he respected the most. Everything, from the Japanese's unity, diligence, respectfulness, loyalty… he could go on. Some days, he thought that maybe his life could have been different if the magical community had too, shown such respect and unity.

The Japanese are a very resistant bunch, he thought. He knew what happened- and what will happen- to Japan. The wars, the disasters, the society. It was hard to know that the disasters Japan faces are not isolated; its beauty is only matched by its danger. After each disaster, the people rebuild from the wreckage and continue no matter their grief. Alas, there is a price to be paid for the shining brilliance of Japan: their geographical location.

The price of equivalence isn't something that can be changed- not even for an angel of his caliber can usurp the rules of the universe.

"It is the land of the rising sun," Harrison said softly, his voice almost a whisper in the darkness.

"Yes, the land of the rising sun," the butler agreed, sipping his tea lightly.

Harrison highly suspected that Tanaka was trained in some form of Japanese martial arts, but he supposed he would bear witness to Tanaka's abilities if he stayed for long enough. For now, he would be patient.

Once more, they both listened to the sounds of the night. Harrison wasn't aware of the passage of time; it was such an easy thing to lose track of. Time- it slips through the fingers of mortals oh so gently- to an immortal like him, it might as well be nonexistent.

"Thank you for taking care of the Young Master," Tanaka smiled, his statement echoing slightly through the kitchen.

"Thank you for letting me," Harrison replied automatically. "Is that alright though, for me to do so?" He said with a bit of hesitance. To any mortal, he supposed it would come off as hesitance from inexperience. Surely the butler had several decades of experience in taking care of the Phantomhive family. Why would he leave Ciel in _Sebastien_'s hands? Knowing that demon, he probably had a hard time adjusting to life as a butler. Does the oldest staff member truly not care about the manor being blown up every other week?

The old man merely smiled wisely at the angel, as if he found humor in the question itself. "It brings joy to me- to know that the household is in good hands. I am old; these old bones no longer work as they use to. It is time for the new generation to step up for the Phantomhive household. I am glad that the Young Master has found competent servants to replace those he has lost."

"Even if they need a bit of help?" Harrison said drily with just a hint of humor. A lot of help. A ton of help. An ocean of help.

"Even so," Tanaka laughed genially. "Skills can be learned, but a sense of loyalty- that is more precious than any skill."

"Indeed, your words are true" Harrison agreed. Wisdom comes with age, and this man certainly has enough of both. He was reminded of an old man from what feels like eons ago, a hundred lifetimes away. Dumbledore, he remembered after rummaging through his countless memories- the purple robes, the pointed hats, the socks, the candies… Tanaka reminds him of Dumbledore.

"Thank you for trusting me with the Young Master's education. I will do my utmost to fulfill the task given to me and honor your decision," the newest Phantomhive staff member said earnestly. "Please look after me kindly, and thank you for your guidance," Harrison said the last part in Japanese and bowed- finishing his performance as a well travelled, polite young tutor.

Even he could hardly tell which parts are genuine and which parts are not. After a while, the mask and the lies mingle and merge, as do reality and dreams. Perhaps he has merely ceased to care about which parts are true and which are not. Or perhaps his reality has been washed away by the sands of time and replaced with something more suited for his station.

Tanaka bowed politely back, with a gentle smile on his face.

* * *

"So, how was dinner with your guest, Young Master?" Harrison asked, not bothering to look up from the heavy tome in his lap. He bounced his right leg to stop it from falling asleep; the book was certainly heavy enough to slow his circulation.

"Sir Claus is a part of the information network put together and left behind by my predecessor," the child said with a sigh. "Dinner was satisfactory barring a minor incident."

"Handled by Sebastian, I presumed?" Harrison closed the text with a thump and brushed the dust off his clothing. He winced; despite his best efforts, his leg still protested when he tried to walk. As such, he limped over to the blackboard.

"You would presume correctly," Ciel nodded. He stalked over- as much as he could in such a small body- and inspected the blackboard next to the bookshelves.

While Ciel was entertaining his guest with small talk and useless pandering, the tutor had found a blackboard and some chalk tucked away in the back of the library. In neat, precise handwriting, he easily outlined demonology and the various classes of demons- a corner of demon nobility here, a dash of demonic species there, and the board was filled with white text. While he rarely took teaching duty in Heaven- that job fell on the various professors who have died over the years- basic demonology was more or less considered common sense in the afterlife. Even those that avoided becoming demons had to have basic knowledge- for survival, that is.

Choosing to be an angel has its benefits; free education would definitely be one of them. Harrison wondered how many Nobel laureates Heaven has received over the years; he never bothered to count.

"This is…" Ciel placed a gloved hand on the blackboard, smudging the letters slightly.

"Chalk," Harrison shrugged and absentmindedly dusted off some chalk dust from the cuff of his sleeve. The young child's eyes flashed with annoyance at the flippant answer. "You did ask for a lesson in demonology; it is easier to explain in visual form."

"So I did," Ciel regained his composure. The child sat down in a chair that was far too large for him and steepled his fingers. "You may begin at your leisure."

Harry fought the urge to sigh at the spoiled lordling. He bit down his protests and began. Ciel immediately sat up in his chair. He could tell that the one talking was the archangel Michael, not the tutor Harrison Crowe. "Right, to understand demonology, you must first understand what happens to human souls upon death of the body. Surprising human religious beliefs regarding the afterlife are not completely inaccurate; they do hold a certain degree of truth to them. What happens after the predetermined end largely depends on the individual and the color of their soul. Despite what mortals think, there are multiple deities and multiple systems; the deities draw their power from worship, so when their followers die, they are claimed by their god of choice. It gets a good deal more complicated than that- especially with people who believe in just about everything. There are actually _attorneys_ for this kind of thing. I briefly explained my duty here and the fact that mortal souls have colors a week ago," Harrison sighed as he thought of the troublesome attorneys in afterlife. He tried not to show his agitation, but judging by Ciel's smirk, he wasn't all that successful.

"Different religions have different guidelines and protocols, but generally speaking, the dead are divided into three; those who are to be rewarded, those who are to repent or to reincarnate, and those who are to be punished. The "color" of the soul determines which fate awaits it. Souls that are very close to black end up in hell, and those that are close to white end up in Heaven. The grey ones- usually along the mid tone range- get reincarnated. Some religions, like Buddhism emphasize reincarnation, so the second category is larger than the first and the third. For the religions that believe in God, the three categories are fairly equal in size and number."

Ciel was fascinated, if a bit overwhelmed. 'This… this is what happens after death,' he thought dazedly.

The tutor droned on, oblivious to- or apathetic about- Ciel's awe. "So, the souls to be rewarded are sent to Heaven- where they are given the choice to become angels or to remain as normal residents. Likewise, the souls to be punished either get eaten or turn into demons. The ones to repent are usually forward into reincarnation. A small percentage of them stay behind to become Shinigami. These are the three main categories of supernatural beings in this world- angels, demons, and Shinigami- at least in your dimension. Today we will be focusing on demons," Harrison said and quickly circled the word "Demons" before Ciel could start asking about different dimensions. A number of lines were drawn radiating from the word.

"So all demons were once humans," Ciel half asked.

"Yes," Harrison nodded. "Though demons tend to shed their humanity very quickly. Since the turnover rate for any of the three is rather low, we tend to live for a very, very long time- centuries, or even millennia. Once you get to that age, the time you spent as a human will seem infinitesimally small. For demons who have to subsist on human souls, the transition is even quicker; they have to forget their humanity to survive. Emotions like mercy or pity have no place in Hell, except for within the weak, of course."

That would explain a number of things, Ciel mused, remember Sebastian's distinct lack of common sense when he first took on the role of a butler.

"All angels were once human too," Ciel added shrewdly.

However, Harrison- Michael, really- only shrugged. "Yes, I was once a human too," he said gracefully.

Ciel hummed in thought and narrowed his eyes, his mind flying though the different implications of the statement.

"There are many types of demons of varying powers," Michael continued. "Generally speaking, the humanoid demons are the most dangerous since they possess conscious thought. Demons that take on animal forms include sea serpents, goblins, and familiars- usually in the shape of imps, cats, or toads. They hold little power of their own, though they can influence mortals quite easily. However, other supernatural beings are not so easily fooled, and they are considered to be fairly powerless. Humanoid demons include incubi, succubae, ghouls, and fallen angels, among others."

Harrison's expression darkened slightly at the last category, but it was gone the blink of an eye, replaced by his usual politeness. If Ciel did not know the context of the statement, he would have thought that it was a trick of the light.

"There are other types, of course. You can think of them as different races; they are comparable to such. Humanoid demons are capable of taking an animal form; as I have said before, Malphas- Sebastian- takes the form of a Crow when he appears. I believe Lilith occasionally takes the form of an owl when she appears on the human plane; she has not done so in a number of centuries though," Harrison mused. "On the other hand, animal demons aren't powerful enough to take a humanoid form… they can be thought of as… very vicious pets, per se."

Harrison chuckled a bit, confusing Ciel with his sense of humor, which was almost as bad as Sebastian's.

"Despite the supposed chaos, eternal brimstone and whatnot, Hell actually has a rather rigid monarchy," Harrison continued.

Ciel sat up- monarchy- now that was something easily understandable for him.

"The reigning monarch is Lucifer- or Satan- whichever you prefer. He goes by both," Harrison shrugged. "He's not a bad chap, actually. His ego's nearly galactic in size, but he is fairly good company; I have tea with him every other century or so."

Ciel Phantomhive sat, dumbfounded, hardly believing his ears. _Archangel Michael_ likes to have tea with _Lucifer_? What happened to them being eternal enemies? Somehow the Bible managed to miss that part.

"Of course, I didn't fall with him, but we still keep in contact from time to time," Michael added, flipping his hand casually.

"And your… employer would not be displeased?" Ciel asked incredulously.

"No, he is quite lenient with us," the archangel shrugged gracefully. "The first thing you find out in afterlife is that deities are nothing if not lazy. Short of the apocalypse, they don't do much. As long as we don't pull a Lucifer, he is fine with us visiting Hell occasionally. Most of the higher up demons and angels don't mind each other much. Barring Malphas, I get along fairly well the more powerful humanoid demons. Time does tend to heal most wounds, and the infamous wars we tend to get to are more for the younger angels and demons. They're a lot more hotblooded than we are; it's kind of like how your kings used to send knights on crusades when they got too bored. Besides, can you imagine how much damage we would do if the higher angels and demons were constantly at odds?" The angel shuddered.

Ciel still couldn't wrap his mind around the concept and merely stayed silent.

"Back to what I was saying… In order of least to most powerful, the demonic nobility titles are: Great Marshals, Knights, Presidents, Great Presidents, Earls, Great Earls, Dukes, Great Dukes, Marquises, Great Marquises, Princes, Great Princes, Kings, Great Kings, and Emperor- which would be Lucifer. Malphas is a prince; the higher your rank, the more underlings you command," Harrison chuckled. "Though whether that is a blessing or not depends on the demon in question and how high their tolerance is for stupidity. I believe Malphas has forty legions," he added as an afterthought.

As an Earl, Ciel could empathize with that statement completely. Managing and maintain the network his predecessor- he would refuse to think of the man as his fathers, for those memories are better left buried- had left behind was a pain.

"Demons do come to Earth fairly often, but they are widespread across different dimensions; beings from Hell are allowed to jump to parallel dimensions to hunt for food, but they are prohibited from manipulating time. I believe the Fates put their collective foot down on that one; the demons would simply cause too much trouble if they could change the timeline constantly. Keeping all the demons in one dimension would simply spell doom for humanity in that dimension anyways. Lucifer does keep an eye on his demons, but they hardly have a system in Hell- unlike the rather strict mission system we run in Heaven. Like the higher angels, demons in the higher nobility do not often venture down to Earth. Generally speaking, more powerful the demon, the less they need to eat. It is this reason that Malphas can go decades without consuming a soul; a lesser demon would have gone mad by now if, actually. He's one of the few who can actually fulfill a contract like yours; most demons cannot starve for so long. When higher demons descend to Earth, it is almost always for entertainment, so your situation is highly unusual," Harrison noted.

"I suppose I do have a certain type of luck, yes," Ciel said slowly, turning the words over in his mind.

Harrison barked a laugh, startling the boy. "Yes, I suppose you do. I hope you do realize that you are the most protected human in your dimension – possibly in all of the dimensions- a thirteen year old boy with a prince of hell and an archangel as your live-in servants. Malphas and I are still talk of both Heaven and Earth right now; Gabriel was exceedingly delighted to pass me that particular message. Both ends have _betting pools_ open on us," Harrison pulled a face at that. He remembered how his curly haired colleague had been particularly mirthful, barely managing to cease his laughter to deliver the message.

"What are they betting on?" Ciel asked curiously. To think that 'sinless' beings opened _betting pools_ regularly of all things… Religious studies will never again be a boring subject.

"I'm not sure, actually," Harrison mused. "Perhaps they are betting on how long it takes for Malphas and I to strangle each other."

"I will be sure to order Sebastian not to do you any harm on purpose," Ciel said flippantly, his ring catching the light.

"There is no need for that; Sebastian will just arrange some accidents for me instead. Besides, it will be a sad day in Hell if I can't fend off Malphas at his current crippled state," Harrison straightened his tie.

Ciel thought that crippled was the last word to be used in Sebastian's context, but he motioned for the tutor to continue.

"Ah yes, where was I?" he asked. "Right- to the next part of our lesson- demonic summoning and contracts."

Here, Ciel's gaze sharpened. Without a doubt, this is what he wants to know.

"Demons can be summoned, but they have to be willing participants; this is where the majority of summons fall to pieces. A lot of times, the demon they are trying to summon simply does not wish to come to Earth. Thus, humans try to entice the demons with sacrifices and offerings. The more powerful the demon, the more apathetic, and thus, the more sacrifices needed. One summoned, the demon in question usually consumes the sacrifices. After that, they have several options: they can either contract with someone- as Malphas did with you-, they can betray their summoners, or they can choose to stay around and grant a wish or two," Harrison continued. He paused when he saw Ciel's hands start shaking- doubtlessly from the memories from his ordeal.

"Young Master," Harrison said, hesitating to continue. He wanted to say Ciel at that moment- the shaking child in front of him was no master- merely a traumatized child. "Perhaps it is time to stop for the night. I do not wish to give you night terrors."

Ciel took a deep breath to still his tremors. He earned this lesson the hard way, and this information is vital- he will not give into his memories. He crushed his fears ruthlessly; they will hinder him no more. "No, continue," he ordered regally.

Harrison frowned and bit back an objection. "There are various contracts that can be formed with a demon- each has its own specialties and confines. In your case, you have what is called the "Faustian contract"; unfortunately, this contract is unbreakable. There is no way to break it and no way to escape it once it is formed," Harrison frowned. He could try that statement, but even if he could break the bond, he was sure that Ciel's life would be lost in the process.

And that, was not acceptable.

"The only advice I can give you is this: prolong your goal. As long as your goal is unfulfilled, Sebastian will be obligated to fulfill the contract. You are the last of your line, so unless you want the Phantomhive family to end with you, you have to drag this contract out by decades. You are still young, so you won't be dying of natural causes any time soon. Perhaps you should get to making a couple of heirs for the line?" Harrison teased with a grin.

Ciel turned bright red, much to Harrison's amusement.

"Of course, I will be on hand to make sure Malphas doesn't try anything underhanded- I'll gladly put that demon through a wall or two- but I cannot change the terms of the contract." More like through every brick in the Great Wall of China and then some, the archangel thought.

_Michael_ was genuinely worried for him, Ciel thought in wonder. Worry lines don't suit the angel, he thought. A startling thought reached Ciel; despite what his tutor said earlier about supernatural beings and their lack of humanity, the angel in front of him obviously kept a large amount of his- the kind of genuine worry cannot be anything but human. Furthermore, the additional jibe about him not being of marrying age only cemented Ciel's suspicion that the man was raised as a noble. For a split second, he sounded just like a mix between his mother and father- the worried nagging of his mother and the stern- but comforting- presence of his father. Ciel ignored the pang in his chest and ruthlessly shoved his traitorous thoughts away

Harrison checked his watch; "It is late, Young Master- you must head to bed," he said firmly. There was no room for argument in his tone, and Ciel could only nod mutely in acceptance. The fact that he was the master of the house momentarily slipped his mind.

Gently, Harrison escorted the sleepy Earl Phantomhive to his room and dressed him in his silk pajamas. He tucked the child into bed- taking extra care to fluff up the down pillows- and closed the doors of the master bedroom.

"Good night, Ciel," Harrison said softly. The archangel hesitated momentarily before tapping into his magic. He traced some runes for protection onto the door- runes for peace and sleep. He hastily completed his blessing and locked it into the room; Ciel will be free of night terrors, at least for the week. It was the least he could do for the child; the lesson had not been gentle on his psyche.

Methodically, he locked away his emotions. He had a job to do as an archangel; a heart has no place in his duty, and neither does his humanity. He would have to take extra care not to let his emotions override his logic. Harrison sighed and ran a hand through his hair- _this_ was why he protested when the clerks handed him this mission.

At the end of the day, Ciel Phantomhive is merely a mortal- one who will expire before the next century. It will not do for him to dwell on a transient being.

Somehow, the thought bothered him more than he cared to admit, and he cannot quite remember why. Neither can he quite name the faces that flashed to his mind nor the music that rang in his ears.

* * *

Mandy: Well, that's a wrap! Sorry for the lateness of the chapter; this is a bit filler-ish because I needed to add in a transition to the next mini plot, which would be the kidnapping chapter. Also, I wanted to add in some character development between Harrison and the rest of the characters. I will have to take it slowly and explain the whole demons/angels/Shinigami system in this story; it will draw some information from mythology or different religions, but since I wasn't raised to believe in any particular religion (my parents told me to think for myself) everything I get will be from google and Wikipedia.

A quick word to the readers who also follow my other stories: Jack of all trades isn't going to be updated any time soon; I haven't started planning the next chapter yet. That Crazy Nut of a Teacher probably will be updated in the next month and a half or so. The next chapter is complete (minus the omakes), but I still need to proof read and edit it a couple of times.

Also, I added the part about Japanese culture because of several reasons: firstly, it fits the setting of the scene very well; secondly, it would make sense for Harry not to return to Britain since he has all the time in the world to travel; thirdly, I think Harry would honestly respect the Japanese culture. The Japanese culture is worth respect in a lot of ways, to be honest. Some of what Harry says echoes my own, of course, since I am the one writing this.

Though one thing that seriously pisses me off to no end is how the old generation transfers grudges over to the new generation via education. It happens everywhere, but it's pretty pronounced against/for the Japanese, which makes no sense to me. Every country has history that it would like to hide- it's not anything new. If everyone listed out every single grudge, it would take forever and a day. It's one thing to rail on governments, but people are different from their governments. I was raised in a multilingual, multicultural environment, so I don't hold grudges against any country for history alone. It just annoys me to see the people around me- educated or otherwise- hating or belittling individuals they have never met over something that didn't even happen to them. I mean, seriously?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wish that people could be judged by their actions and their thoughts rather than the color of their skin or the culture they are from. I really wish that more people can see others as individuals and not merely a part of the collective. Every person is unique, and it's disheartening, to see that flash of prejudice in someone's eyes before you have even said a single word. It's not really something that you forget.

Anyways… rant done- sorry about that. About the title of the chapter, I have recently become obsessed with that song. I watch figure skating (I'm definitely not a figure skater though- I have flat feet and a really awful sense of balance), and one of the men figure skaters (not saying who- anyone who follows figure skating closely probably knows anyways) has a long program this year with that song. The performance is absolutely amazing.

I'm not quite sure when the next update will be, but I already know how the next chapter will go. It's really just a matter of writing it out, but school is keeping me as busy as always. For new readers: my chapters typically go over 10k; actually, this is a bit on the short side (at round 11k or so). I don't update very often, but my updates are usually pretty long. Also, I got a beta! Say hello to Ari 347; she betas my stories for me, though I usually send them to her after I publish the chapters. She is currently working on my other story, That Crazy Nut of a Teacher.

Added note (1/13/15): **(To address questions concerning pairings):** **No, there will not be any romance between Harry and Sebastian. There won't be any romance, period. ** It's out of character for Harry and Sebastian to sudden go all lovey dovey (oh gods no! Someone get me a waste basket), and I'm not twisting their character like that (I have a feeling they might materialize out of my mind and strangle me). Ciel and Lizzy are both too young for that kind of thing, and Kuroshitsuji isn't a manga that focuses heavily on romance. There are ways of making a story interesting without any kind of romance, and I will make this story interesting without any kind of romance. So there- from now on, if anyone wants to know about my official stance on pairings with this story, I'll just redirect him or her to this paragraph. I don't particularly enjoy saying the same thing repeatedly, and to find something to copy and paste, I would have to save a template response or something- too much trouble.


	3. III: Till Kingdom Come

Chapter III: Till Kingdom Come

Warning: A bit dark this chapter- nothing graphic, but there are mild mentions of gore. Also, this fic is gen! As in there are NO PAIRINGS at all, no romance of any sort.

The following weeks in the Phantomhive household were no less stressful, Harrison discovered. In fact, chaos was the _norm_ in this household- though how the house manages to remain standing is anyone's guess. If it wasn't a laundry mishap, it was a gardening issue. If it wasn't a gardening issue, it was an explosion. If it wasn't an explosion, it was cats stuffed in random cupboards and closets.

Really, he knew that Hell's beasts can be quite… temperamental, but Malphas' obsession with all things cat related was simply too much. Especially since Ciel is allergic to cats _and_ has asthma to boot, the tutor thought crossly.

A loud rumble shook the dust off the top of the library's ancient bookshelves, and Harrison could only barely suppress a sigh. With practiced ease, he slipped his metal bookmark over his latest read- one doubtlessly thick enough to be a pillow- and got up. He dusted off his clothing and made his way downstairs, undoubtedly to confront the latest crisis in the Phantomhive household.

"What is it this time?" He grumbled, sneezing several times in a row. _Someone_ has to run damage control around here, and unfortunately, that someone just happens to be _him_.

* * *

"What is going on here?" The archangel asked with a huff, a hand on his hip and another around his book. While his eyes were sharp as always, his nose reacted first this time.

"And _what_ in the name of the Mother Mary is _that_?" He pointed, almost-gaping at the bubble vat of purple goo in Bard's hands. It takes a very special situation for him to use the Mother's name in passing, and this certainly calls for it.

"That is my extra special straight forward home cooking tactic!" Bard announced, puffing out his chest like a particularly prideful pigeon.

"A tactic for what?" the tutor asked, momentarily baffled by the carpet of mouse traps and the army of cats.

"Rats!" Finny chimed in cheerfully while holding up one of the many stray felines that Sebastian regularly feeds. The animal meowed in agreement.

"Rats," he echoed back, feeling quite tired all of a sudden. "And the mouse traps…? They are for _mice_, not rats. Not to mention, you didn't even bait any of them. You need _rat_ poison for _rats_." Though knowing Bard's "homecooking," it might as well be the same thing.

"If we catch them a second time, we won't let them go!" May Ren reasoned. Behind her, the other staff nodded.

Harrison automatically felt one hand go up to pinch his brows. She's more likely to catch her foot in one of those traps and not a rat, he thought. Not to mention Ciel probably doesn't even know of all this mess, given that he is currently conversing with the top figures of the underworld at the moment. Or rather, playing a very boring, dimly lit of billiards, in a way that only stereotypical villains would.

"Tanaka-san…" he turned to the only reasonable person on the payroll for support, only to find the elderly butler once again reverted to his more senile self. It must come with age, he thought, or perhaps old trauma to the brain.

And that's when Harrison metaphorically threw up his hands and vowed to toss the situation to someone else to handle- and there was only one person he'd want to hand this to.

"Where is Sebastian?" Harrison's lips turned down. He was _not_ getting paid enough to deal with this.

* * *

"… What are all of you doing?" Sebastian asked, surveying the chaos with unimpressed eyes. He turned to look at his archnemesis, who only shrugged apathetically.

"This is _not_ my problem. Don't look at me- I didn't do this," the angel snorted from his spot by the window. He flipped a page idly with one hand and casually ducked a flying mouse trap. _He_ wasn't paid to deal with this. He has metaphorically wiped his hands of the matter. Nope- not his work.

"And you would allow this to continue because…?" Malphas asked, more amused than anything else.

"It's your job to handle pests, isn't it?" Harrison said in reply. Of course, he meant more than just the common type of pest. None of the lot in that billiards room is innocent by any means- including the young master. He was obliged to make sure Ciel does not die an early death, but that does not mean he approves of what the child does on a daily basis. The underground world is no place for a child- it was far, far too dangerous (a concept which does not seem to scare Ciel in the slightest- that, or he had far too much trust in his contract.)

"I would suppose so." Sebastian said after a far-too-long moment of contemplation.

"Sebastian," Ciel turned around the corner and walked down the hallway. His child sized, heeled boots clacked on the stone tiles.

The lordling must have won his game of billiards then, Harrison supposed. Truthfully, he wasn't surprised' Ciel is surprisingly adept at mathematics and has a quick mind.

"Tonight, escort Duke Randall to his mansion by carriage and leave tonight's plans open," Ciel commanded, nonplussed even at the sight of utter chaos in front of him- it only happens every other hour or so.

Sebastian, being well versed to the Phantomhive code, narrowed his eyes imperceivably- as did the angel next to him. Leave the plans open- Ciel clearly expects something to happen- an ambush, perhaps? Projected time is probably in the late afternoon or evening. And to involve Lord Randall- the Head of Phantomhive intends to sink his teeth into something worthy of public arrest.

"Understood," Sebastian smiled. "Then when I finish preparations for the carriage, I will bring up some afternoon tea to your room. I have prepared apple and raisin dip for today's snack. I will bring it to you when it is baked, so please just wait a bit."

"I do hope you are not planning to skip this afternoon's lesson, Young Master," the tutor scolded half-heartedly, turning his attention from the tome in his lap to the child next to him. Will it be in the afternoon, or at night?

"Of course not," Ciel flipped his hand back. "I simply have business to take care of." At night, was the reply.

Harrison's suspicions began growing in the back of his mind. This had better _not_ be something too dangerous (again), or else heads _will _roll. It's just a matter of _whose_ head will be rolling.

"Alright," he shrugged, seemingly relaxed and easygoing. "Do keep in mind that your deadline for your Latin exercises will not be delayed because of this."

Ciel scowled but did not say anything in reply. "Oh, and do take care of this mess- it is becoming quite a nuisance." The lordling waved a head casually as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

"Understood," Sebastian bowed slightly as Ciel promptly strolled out of the hallway and back to his study.

"Now then…" the demonic butler turned to face the battlefield of mousetraps and men. With ease, he swooped down with the grace of a crow and promptly picked up the rodents. "Now, with that taken care of, please stop playing around and do your tasks. We will be having guests tonight."

"Wow," Bard huffed, out of breath from his brief scuffle with rodents.

Harrison shrugged and got off the window ledge. Now that the commotion has been settled, he can once again return back to the library without fear of a dust avalanche collapsing on him.

On his way, he passed by the little lord's study.

"I should probably check if his essay from yesterday is done or not," he mused. That little brat owed him an essay on the various deeds of Catherine the Great. Russian or otherwise, monarchy is monarchy, and knowledge is power.

Politely, he knocked once on the great oaken doors. There was no reply. With a frown, he knocked again- this time more loudly and a bit quicker. Still, there was no reply.

Without knocking a third time, he shot a quick alohamora towards the lock of the doors and burst into the room, his metal bookmark pulled out and ready to be used as a blade.

Instead of an assailant, he only found an open window and scattered papers lying on the ground.

"Shit," he cursed, sending out his aura to check the peripheries of the Phantomhive mansion for any presence of the young lordling.

Quickly, the angel flew down grand stairs at the entrance and burst into the kitchen.

"Sebastian, Ciel is gone," he shouted. This was not the tutor Harrison Crowe talking- this was Michael, the archangel in command of the Divine Armies.

Sebastian blinked. "The young lord has disappeared?" He asked in false concern. "And I have not even finished baking his tart yet."

"Forget your tart, you- go find him!" Michael said exasperatedly. He shook the demon by the neck and bodily dragged him out of the kitchen. _Malphas_ apparently doesn't understand the concept of_ priorities_.

"Now, there is no need for that," Malphas said, red eyes flashing as he gripped Michael's wrist tightly. "And here I thought that angels aren't supposed to use excessive violence."

The air around Michael shifted momentarily and grew heavier. "I would call this _necessary_, not excessive. I would have thought that as a leashed _dog_, you'd be more concerned with someone stealing your meal."

Without going further into the confrontation, he let go of the demon. "This is no time to be arguing. We should hurry." Harrison said. He _knew_ that something like this would happen. He _should have known_ not to leave the little lord alone; the moment he turns his back, the troublesome child gets kidnapped. Sloppy, he mentally berated himself.

Eyes narrowed, Malphas followed the angel up the stairs. While he could easily start a fight with his most hated enemy over the perceived slight of being called a _dog_, the angel did have a point- _someone _out there was trying to rob him of his rightful contract, and that will not be tolerated. It was a point of pride for him- perhaps for both of them.

On the second floor, the demon surveyed the empty study with keen eyes, nostrils flaring. The wind carried away the majority of the scent, but a little still remained- enough for tracking purposed. Granted, he could easily call on the Faustian contract to locate his lost master, but that will only be used as a last resort.

"Whoever did this has a very fast getaway vehicle and used a fast-acting drug- chloroform, probably," Harrison noted, worry lines creasing his forehead. For now, he reverted back into his more human personality, though his vast power was humming just beneath his skin. He leaned with his back against the wall, keeping a wary eye on both the entrance and the window of the study. "I checked on Ciel not long after he retreated to his study, and I could not sense his presence even in the peripheral borders of the property."

"And the door was unlocked?" Sebastian asked pointedly.

"No- I broke in," was the curt reply. That earned a raised eyebrow from the butler.

"Magic, remember? An unlocking charm is child's play to me," the tutor snorted and raised his hands. Sparks of emerald flew between his fingers.

"Ah, yes, your _little cheat_," Sebastian smiled, revealing one pointed fang.

"It's not a cheat," Harrison sniffed. The demon has made his opinion regarding magic plenty clear over the centuries. "It's a _tool_."

"Says the Magical," Sebastian rebutted while digging through the papers scattered around the room for a stronger scent.

"All is fair in love and war," Harrison replied. He made his way to the open window and looked beyond the horizon- the sun was just beginning to set.

"This is neither love nor war," Sebastian pointed out. "Unless you wish that it would be so?"

"Surely, you jest," Harrison scoffed. "And your jokes are as bad as ever." Then, he paused and smiled slowly. "It was war the moment they messed with _my_ mission."

Looking at the sadistic glint in Harrison's- no, Michael's- deep green eyes, Sebastian was suddenly reminded of how angels and demons fundamentally weren't all that different at all. Certainly, Michael's wrath could easily match that of any demon's.

* * *

"Mi- Mister Sebastian! Just now, in the entrance hall- a letter," May Ren's shout cut through the tension of the moment as both supernatural beings turned to look at her.

"Who is it addressed to?" Sebastian asked while adjusting his tie.

May Ren adjusted her glasses and blinked hard. "Um, it's addressed to Sir Ciel Phantomhive and Valet," she read off the front of the envelope with some difficulty.

"They got the young master's title wrong," Harrison noted; his keen eyes darted to a small glint outside the windows. He kicked out with his left foot, catching Sebastian's ankle, at the same time that May Ren spotted the danger and shoved the butler down onto the floor.

The bullet shot through the air and broke through the windows. In less than a heart beat, Harrison leapt out the broken window in a blur to give chase.

"What the...!" Bard and Finny dropped their work and rushed up to the second floor the moment they heard the gunshot go off.

"May Ren, the letter…?" Sebastian asked calmly from his position on the floor.

"Oh!" She leapt up, her face turning a shade of red that clashed with her hair, and handed him the letter. Sebastian skimmed over the letter once before crumpling it up. "What an undignified invitation," he noted mildly.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Finny and Bard shouted, worry and concern etched on their faces.

"Oh, it was nothing much," Sebastian said with a smile and straightened out his clothes.

Just then, Harrison leapt back in through the second floor window, dragging with him two squirming, choking bodies. He was perched precariously on the edge; his shoes crunched on the broken glass. He grasped the two men by the throat as he dragged them into the house.

"Got them," Harrison said, cold and merciless as he tossed his captives against the wall. Behind him, Bard raised an eyebrow at the rough treatment. Who knew the thin noble kid had this side to him? Logically, he knew that no one from the Phantomhive household was normal, but this was a bit surprising to see. He thought that the kid was fairly harmless- as far as harmless went in here.

"Well? Talk." Harrison crossed his arms as he waited for the two lackeys to stop choking. "And don't even _think_ about running. I'm sure you understand, _right_?"

Sebastian looked on with some amusement- clearly, whatever the archangel did, it was enough to break the poor mortals completely.

"The Ferro Family's Azzuro Vener! He's setting up a hideout north of East End!" They shouted hoarsely and scrambled back against the wall.

"Is that so?" Harrison's tone was deceptively mild as he adjusted his cufflinks. "I hope that he's expecting a visit from us then."

* * *

"So, you are going to bring Ciel back?" Harrison crossed his arms and leaned back against one of the pillars in the hallway near Ciel's study. The afternoon sun casted a long shadow across the checkered tiles of the floor. The two men were unceremoniously tied up and tossed into the basement, where Bard and Finny would guard them closely. At that point, they were almost relieved to be handed over to someone else. Their gun, car, and phone were all confiscated as evidence- "for the Yard," Harrison said.

"I suppose," Sebastian tiled his head nonchalantly.

"You had better," Harrison scoffed, "or else you'll be going to sleep without dinner," he smirked.

And of course, there was no question about who was going to be the one to knock him out. There was only one person currently present who could, after all.

The demon sighed, "If I must," before opening one of the unbroken hallway windows.

Harrison's eyes flashed. "In that case, I shall come to check on you shortly after dinner preparations… In case you're feeling particularly inefficient today."

Sebastian steepled his fingers. "I'm sure that won't be necessary," was the expected reply.

The angel smiled, his actions disguising his turbulent emotions. "I must insist. I suppose the tart that you made will have to be served as dessert?"

Sebastian frowned but argued no further. "The recipe for dinner is pinned on top of the stove- the ingredients have not been prepared yet."

"Alright," Harrison nodded and made his way for the kitchens.

Sebastian watched the angel's steps until he turned a corner and disappeared down the staircase. How interesting- the archangel was getting precariously attached, and in such a short amount of time as well. Or perhaps he is simply prideful.

* * *

"So the young master has been kidnapped?" Bard asked, biting into his cigarette. He leaned on the kitchen counters, where half a dozen illegal arms were easily within reach.

Harrison blinked owlishly at him before answering, "Yes."

"And?" Bard prodded. "Aren't you gonna get him back?"

Harrison turned away from him and walked to the stove, where he tore off the recipe that Sebastian had pinned. "I am- but dinner has to be cooked. Sebastian is in the process of retrieving the Young Master. I have confidence in his ability, so I'll make sure that dinner is cooked and ready to eat upon the Young Master's return." As much as he loathed admitting it, the demon was a capable fighter.

Even Bard couldn't argue with Sebastian's efficiency, so he just settled for grumbling into his cigarette instead.

As the tutor gathered various ingredients around the kitchen, Bard said, "What you did back there…"

"Yes?" Harrison paused, his arms full of freshly picked celery and herbs.

"That was pretty cool- I didn't know you had it in ya." Bard grinned good-naturedly and rubbed his nose.

Momentarily surprised, Harrison blinked. A smile tugged at his lips- "I'm sure you know by now that no one hired by the Young Master is by any means normal. Why would you be surprised?"

"Hey, I'll have ya know that I'm plenty normal," Bard joked, shoving the teen slightly.

In reply, the younger man merely laughed and began preparing the vegetables.

"I guess I just didn't expect it," Bard shrugged. "You don't have that look- the look of a killer."

"It's not wise to judge a book by its cover, Chef," Harrison merely said humbly.

Bard barked a laugh- "Wise isn't what I'm known for, kid." His laugh sounded just a tad bitter, the angel noted. An old wound, perhaps?

The angel paused in his cooking and really looked at Bard. "The Crowes aren't particularly… clean, history wise- for nobles anyways. They've always worked closely with the Phantomhives. It's not surprising that they'd train their children in preparation of that."

Bard said nothing- he took a drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out. "That young, huh?"

"I'm older than I look," Harrison grinned. _That_ was an understatement for sure. "Besides, the Young Master is much younger than I am, and he's competent enough."

Some days, he didn't feel all that comfortable with Ciel's chosen path either, but this life is _his_, and treating his liege like a child- underestimating him as such- was not wise.

"So, help me with the vegetables, Chef?" Harrison said after a moment of silence. "Dinner's not going to cook itself," he joked and held out a stick of celery.

Bard blinked at the offered vegetable before laughing and getting up to help.

* * *

Meanwhile, there was complete chaos at the Ferro Family hideout. The lack of news from the two incompetent messengers had the head honcho nervous and afraid- nothing delivers a message like good ol' silence.

"Fortify all entrances! Not even one rat gets in! That watchdog for that damn bunch of nobles must be on his way here! Don't just stand there- stop him no matter what! Hurry!" Azzuro shouts, rattled beyond belief.

"My, I must say, this is a fabulous mansion- nothing like the hideout I expected," Sebastian noted, calmly strolling up to the staircase like he owned the mansion.

"What the hell's with you? Where th' hell'd you come from?" Immediately, the hired hands reached for their guns.

Sebastian mentally grinned. He loved it when mortals were stupid and had no clue about their place in the world. Oh how sweet their ignorance is. "Oh my! In any case, you seem to be busy. Is there anyone-" he said, seemingly not noticing that there were half a dozen rifles pointed at him.

"What do you want? Where do you belong to?" One of them yelled in his face.

It was preposterous, to think that anyone would _own_ him, Malphas thought darkly behind the mask that he wore. Perhaps a _contracted_ demon for some time, yes, but he was not a _possession_. "Ah, sorry for the late introduction. I'm the Phantomhive household's butler." He smiled, eyes turning red with bloodlust.

* * *

The soup is nearly done, and the roast is almost ready to rest. Harrison thought to himself. Cooking always did have that calming effect on him, ever since he was young.

He reached into the drawer next to the oven for a knife, only to find it completely empty. He blinked, momentarily confused by the disappearance of utensils.

Then, he grinned. "I hope Malphas disinfects them if he intends to use them to serve people…"

In all seriousness, hepatitis was no joke in this era. Nonetheless, maybe he'll just settle for using the filleting knife this time.

* * *

"Ah, please excuse me. I'm in a hurry, you see," Sebastian surveyed the carnage around him. No one was conscious enough to give him any reply besides a low groan.

"He's here!" The men inside gave their orders, and a shower of gunfire greeted him from the great hall. Immediately, he darted to the left, grabbed a coat rack, and swung it with the ease of a kung-fu master.

"I am cutting it a bit close," he muttered to himself as he stepped on a hand that was twitching towards a small handgun.

He made his way through the mansion- leisurely dodging bullets here and there- until he got to the dining hall. It was the next most defensible place, and they had clearly prepared well for an army, for they had semi-automatic weapons ready to be fired.

"There he is- kill him!" They shrieked.

In that moment, Sebastian took great pleasure in the sound of ceramic breaking as the porcelain plates from the table turned into deadly weapons. There was nothing quite as therapeutic as seeing empty heads being cracked open, he thought. Surely, the insides were hollow if the plates could break through the cranium so easily, he thought with dark humor.

"Get every one of those guys from the West Ridge as well- we'll shoot him full of holes!" The man in charge of the operation shouted.

Good grief, Sebastian thought with a sigh. There _was_ a limit to stupidity, but that limit seems to get lower with every generation. It was starting to get _slightly_ tedious, especially since he wasn't technically allowed to feast on any of those souls- not that they would taste any good.

With his patience wearing thin, Sebastian drew out ten knives from his suit jacket and threw them with deadly accuracy- ten fewer idiots to worry about. Ten down, a hundred more to go, he sighed and continued with his pest extermination chore.

"Who the hell is he?!" The rats panicked, aim going haywire.

"One who is worthy of being the Phantomhive house's butler… What would I do if I couldn't even manage this much?" he asked mildly while backflipping off a rail.

"Oh dear, I seem to have taken too much time," he noted while checking his pocket watch. The demon hung upside down from the chandelier- perhaps the only piece of furniture in the room not drenched with blood.

Well, that should be the end of that, he thought and landed gently on the ground. Time to face the rat king. His thoughts drifted briefly- at least he didn't have to rush back to cook dinner after this.

* * *

"Please pardon the intrusion; I've come to retrieve my master," Sebastian bowed in the face of the shaking gun aimed at his head. Clearly, the Italian was a coward and an amateur. Shaking like that is very unbecoming of a professional fighter. Still, he relished in the sight of wide eyes and panicked breaths that the mortal gave. It was nice to be feared and respected as his station.

"A butler," the man stuttered. "I'm surprised you managed to kill all these people by yourself. You've got us," he said, reaching into his pinstripe suit.

Undoubtedly, some sort of ambush, Sebastian thought with some amusement. They were so cliché, it was laughable.

"I was wondering what kind of giant would come, but you're just a tail-coated Romeo," the man laughed shakily.

A Romeo? Sebastian thought with some amusement- it wasn't his first time being called that, but that was then, and this is now.

"Who are you, really? Are you a hitman hired by the Phantomhives? Are you an ex-SWAT mercenary? You can't really be a butler," the Italian boss taunted.

"I am a butler to the core, and only that," Sebastian said, his tone cool and professional.

"I see… In any case, I have no intention of fighting you, Mr. Butler- I yield." Spoken like a true coward, Sebastian thought.

"But you know, I'll be taking those goods you managed to get," he said, grasping a bloodied Ciel by the hair and holding a pistol to his head.

"You wouldn't want your cute master to have breathing holes in his head, would you?" The man grinned. "If you're really a butler, you should know what to do, right?"

"The thing you gentlemen are looking for is right here," Sebastian said calmly… as he pulled out a cat shaped coin purse.

There was silence. Complete and utter silence.

"I'm sorry, were you expecting something to happen?" A different voice said pleasantly from behind an oil painting of Mother Mary, Baby Jesus, and Gabriel. In that instant, Azzuro felt fear; he thought, surely, God was coming for him.

In an instant, the painting burst into flames as two diagonal slices cut the painting apart from behind; bodies spilled out from the back, like marionettes with their strings cut.

Out stepped a thin figure dressed in a three piece suit. His clothing was pristine despite the bloodshed around him, and in his hand, was a flaming sword.

"Sloppy," Harrison glanced down at the bodies, one of which had an arm hooked around his ankle. He shook it free carelessly. "Cowardly too, to boot."

Now properly terrified, Azzuro's hand shook even more. "Who- who-"

The archangel's glance slid towards the mafia boss. "My name is Harrison Crowe," he began. Upon hearing the name Crowe, Azzuro's hand jerked. "I am the Phantomhive household tutor, and I would be much obliged if you could unhand the young master… Now," he said.

Intimidated and outgunned, the man dropped Ciel on the floor roughly and scurried back.

"Really, I'd appreciate it if you could be a bit more careful with the young master… People are fragile, you know." Harrison huffed and knelt down next to Ciel. He sheathed his sword and laid it down on the floor.

"You brought that sword?" Sebastian noted with amusement, one hand on his chin.

"I did," Harrison shrugged as he muttered a cutting spell on Ciel's bindings; they fell apart easily. "The angels guarding Eden were bored; mortals nowadays don't even acknowledge Eden's existence, let alone know where it is. They don't need this sword anymore, so they lent it out to me."

"Is that so?" Slitted red eyes glanced at the flaming sword.

"Don't you worry," Harrison said, his face twisting into a pleasant smile, "They've got my sword instead."

Sebastian grimaced. He felt sorry for whichever demon that went to try their luck at Eden at the moment… It was hard to tell which sword was worse. One burns you to death, and the other one makes you wish you were only being burnt to death. Both were nasty pieces of work.

"What- what are you?!" The terrified man shrieked in the background.

"_Episkey_," Harrison waved a hand, and Ciel's bloody nose stopped. He held a green hand over the rest of the boy's injuries and watched them knit together with a careful eye. "There, is that better?" He ignored the question directed at him. The insignificant had no right to demand answers.

In the background, Sebastian was busy pulling bodies out from the wall.

"You… you guys are just servants! I- I can't be finished in a place like this! As a bodyguard, I can give you five- no- ten times more than what you're getting right now! And liquor, and women! Whatever you want! So team up with me!" he pleaded desperately.

"Despicable- truly despicable," Harrison remarked, barely sparing him a glance. "To think that such dredges of society exist disguised as nobles… This is truly blight on the name and prestige of nobility."

Ciel absently wondered which family his tutor belonged to when he was alive.

"It's a shame, Sir Vener, I have no interest in currency made by human hands, for I am a demon and a butler." Sebastian grinned, his eyes alight with supernatural power.

"That's the line you're using? _A demon and a butler?_" Harrison asked incredulously. "And that pun works?" He looked on the verge of bursting into laughter.

Sebastian merely looked irked.

"Really, of all things you could say… And the clerks give _me_ slack for not blending in well enough." Harrison shook his head and chuckled. "There, Young Master, try walking on that ankle- it should be okay now."

Careful as always, the angel even mended Ciel's torn clothing. Now properly healed, Ciel looked no different than he did that very morning.

"It's game over, Azzuro," Ciel said, claiming the metaphorical throne for himself.

"No…" the broken man muttered. "You- what are you…."

"I have no need to explain myself to people like you." Harrison looked down coldly at him. With a swipe of his sword, Azzuro's world went black. "And I'll thank you _not_ to lay a hand on my charge," he infiormed the now headless corpse.

"Hmph- I suppose we'll have to clean up here," the angel looked at Sebastian and pulled a face. The cleanup work was always the most tedious.

"Yes, that would be for the best," Ciel agreed and crossed his legs, sitting languidly on the chair. It was hard to believe that just moments before, he was at the mercy of a madman.

"Oh, dinner preparations are already complete, by the way," Harrison noted as he began to pull _something_ out of the air- it was a sick oily grey substance, greasy and pooling in the air. "By the time we're home, the roast should be done resting."

"My thanks," Sebastian's fangs showed past his smile; his eyes were still bright red.

Harrison scoffed. "You can keep your thanks." The ball resting above his hand grew bigger. "Oh, on second thought, you can help pull the rest of those bodies out of the wall- there shouldn't be any blood."

"Of course, they would only be slightly burnt," Sebastian noted.

"You would know by experience," Harrison said with a chuckle.

"What is that?" Ciel pointed curiously at the blob gathering in his tutor's hands.

"Oh, that?" Harrison blinked. "They're souls- from this rats nest, I suppose. These are just the ones going straight to hell- they're too black for any other option. I'm just saving my _colleagues_ some work; these souls won't make it past the front doors of hell before they get turned into someone's dinner, so I might as well gather them in one place."

Well, it makes sense- in a logical sort of way, Ciel thought. It was only a bit surreal, how many laws of the scientific world they were breaking. Nonetheless, he paid close attention to the color- this was the color that he didn't want his own soul to become. And he would have to be careful, in his line of work.

It was a bit startling, to note that Michael, the archangel, was just as capable of violence as Malphas, a prince of Hell. Ciel knew that they should be equivalent in power, but he had thought that as an archangel, the other man would show more restraint- clearly, that is not the case.

Sebastian chuckled as he ducked inside the painting. His laugh echoed around the walls, drawing the archangel's attention.

"That one's fake, by the way," he remarked at the burning painting of Gabriel. "It does make me feel a bit better though- that's what you get for opening a betting pool on me. Now who has the last laugh?"

It was only slightly childish, Ciel noted with some disbelief.

Somewhere up there, he had a feeling that the other archangel was laughing away merrily nonetheless.

When the mass of soul had stopped spinning in his hand, he closed one fist over them, and they disappeared into his ring- a ring that Ciel noted looked a lot like a Lord ring from some unknown family.

"Are you done?" the tutor turned his head and called to Sebastian.

"Yes," he said, emerging from the painting in his more human form.

"Good, let us leave then- it's quite late," Harrison nodded. To Ciel, he said, "That guy over there sent two messengers over to the manor to "inform" us of your unfortunate disappearance; I scared them a little and tied them up. They still have their orders, weapons, and method of transport; those should be enough for the Scottish Yard."

A _little_, Sebastian thought with a laugh- he was sure that those men were beyond terrified by whatever Michael chose to show them.

Ciel nodded- it would definitely be enough. Coupled with the massacre here, the powers of the Underground would think twice before interfering with the Phantomhives. As warnings go, it was a very effective one.

"Alright, let's leave then," the archangel said as he opened one of the windows wide. Ciel wondered absently if he was going to jump from the second floor- it didn't look like the tutor had called a horse carriage. He has seen Sebastian jump from the greater heights before- it was nothing new to him.

Instead, to his surprise, enormous white wings sprouted from the back of his tutor. They were wide and tapered, taking up almost all of the space in the room.

"You…" the child gaped at the surreal sight.

"What? I'm an angel- of course I'd have wings," Harrison said matter-of-factly. "_Sebastian_ over there has wings too, when he looks more like himself." The crow demon on the other side of the room nodded and more or less agreed with the statement.

"How else do you think I got here this quickly?" He asked, flapping his wings a couple of times. White feathers drifted onto the floor. "I flew."

"You flew." Ciel said disbelieving. It was a bit of a minor miracle, how he still had any capability left to be surprised.

Sebastian muttered something, disguised as a cough and too low for Ciel to make out.

"I'm not molting, you sorry excuse for an avian," Harrison snapped, his sharp viridian gaze pinned on the ever amused demon.

He kind of was, Ciel realized. Suddenly, he had a "coughing fit" as well.

Knowing a lost battle when he saw one, the commander gave up the argument and turned up his nose with dignity. "Well? Do you want to try flying? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'll guarantee you that."

"Me?" Ciel asked, blinking rapidly.

"Well, I'm not carrying _Malphas_ if that's what you're thinking. I won't drop you, I promise," Harrison grinned with far too much teeth. Sebastian, that sorry excuse for a demon, just chuckled.

"It _is_ a once in a lifetime opportunity for a mortal," Sebastian admitted. Michael didn't just carry anyone- his pride as an angel was great, and he had gladly clobbered the last fool who compared him to a pack mule.

In fact, if he were to be carried by _Michael_, he was sure that he'd at least be in a body bag.

Want warred with worry for a minute, until want won out. "… Alright," Ciel said warily.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights," Harrison laughed as he scooped up the small child in his arms. Ciel would protest until the day he died, but he did not _squeak_. "I'm sure Sebastian will make his way back just fine."

The demon chuckled and watched as his archrival leaped out of the open window with his contractor in his arms. Now, time to depart before those pesky Shinigami got there.

* * *

With an almost inaudible shriek, Ciel was up in the air and soaring.

"Relax, Young Master," Harrison laughed, a carefree note in his voice. "Air transportation won't become mainstream for a good couple of decades, so enjoy the ride for now."

It was exhilarating, Ciel thought to himself. Absolutely breathtaking- though that might just be the adrenaline.

"Look at the stars," the angel shouted against the wind. "The countryside and the mountains- they're beautiful."

And beautiful they were- Ciel looked up at his namesake and saw a sky full of stars. Across the expanse of the horizon, the sky opened up, with stars spilling out of its great maw. There were more stars than the eye could see. Quicker than Ciel could count, they flew past constellation after constellation.

"Amazing," he breathed. Beneath the great expanse of the sky, he was reminded of how small he was- of how small every living being was. He felt small, yet he felt safe- literally in the arms of an angel.

"God's creation at its finest," the angel agreed wholeheartedly. "The world is beautiful if you take the time to pause and look- never forget that. Nature has a beauty of its own."

And just for a moment- no matter how dark and frightening the world was, how scared he was deep down inside- life was bright and beautiful.

* * *

Outtakes One: Who has the last laugh now?

The next day, the incident at the Ferro family mansion made front page, as the Phantomhive household knew that it would. After dinner, Ciel had called Lord Randall and his underling- a man Ciel had not-so-fondly named "Underline" to come pick up the two prisoners who were ridiculously thankful that the Scottish Yard had come to arrest them.

The official story was that the tutor of the household was thankfully able to catch the perpetrators before they made it to their escape vehicle. When Abberline asked how the scholarly man was able to do that- he looked barely able to lift the tomes in the library- Harrison had merely given him a formal introduction of himself. Once he mentioned the last name "Crowe", all questions were summarily answered- it was a useful last name to have, he thought.

"What did you do?" Ciel asked Harrison curiously. He looked on as the two men looked to be nearly sobbing with relief.

"Nothing worth mentioning," the tutor replied smoothly. He didn't quite have the heart to tell Ciel the _unofficial_ story, which was that in his rage, he appeared to those two in all his divine rage and flaming sword- _and_ _then_ stopped their shiny new Ferrari in its tracks. Clearly, they have reason to be scared.

Ciel glanced at him dubiously but didn't ask any further.

He would have his questions answered the next day over breakfast, in the form of a partly surprised, partly enraged shout. His tutor strode in, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. He had the morning's newspaper clenched tightly in his hand.

"… Harrison?" Ciel put down his forkful of omelet and wiped his mouth.

"That good for nothing winged weasel of a messenger! Why I ought to…!" the tutor seethed and continued muttering angrily about stolen credit and meddlesome juniors.

Ciel stared until the tutor calmed himself down with several deep breaths. As amusing as it was to see an angel call someone (or something) else a "winged weasel," he _did_ want to know what caused his tutor to act so oddly.

"Young Master, read this." The tutor showed Ciel the wrinkled pages of the newspaper.

"Divine Punishment for the Wretched: The Ferro Manor Massacre…" Ciel read the title. Harrison gestured for him to continue on. "Archangel Gabriel appears out of a painting to deliver divine retribution to the Ferro family- servants confirm sighting of an angel with a flaming sword…?"

The lordling continued reading- apparently, the two men handed over the Yard had babbled endlessly about an angel with a flaming sword coming for them. Combined with the flaming picture of Gabriel (whose part of the painting was "miraculously" spared from burning beyond recognition) and the white feathers in front of the painting, the general consensus was that the Archangel Gabriel materialized out of the oil painting with a flaming sword in hand.

Finally realizing the cause of his tutor's ire, Ciel began laughing long and hard. It would see that this time, Gabriel gets the last laugh.

* * *

Outtakes Two: Important documents

"But you know, I'll be taking those goods you managed to get," he said, grasping a bloodied Ciel by the hair and holding a pistol to his head.

"You wouldn't want your cute master to have breathing holes in his head, would you?" The man grinned. "If you're really a butler, you should know what to do, right?"

"The thing you gentlemen are looking for is right here," Sebastian said calmly… as he pulled out a cat shaped coin purse. The clasp of the coin purse unclicked itself, and out came spilling pictures. Numerous, incriminating pictures... of cats. Cat ears, cat faces, cat tails and paws.

There was silence. Complete and utter silence.

"Dammit, _Malphas_! Your obsession of cats is _not_ an important good!" A different voice said from behind an oil painting of Mother Mary, Baby Jesus, and Gabriel. In that instant, Azzuro felt fear; he thought, surely, God was coming for him.

* * *

Outtakes Three: Dinner

A knock came at his door- "'Tis some visitor," Sebastian muttered, "tapping at my chamber door— " He chuckled.

"Delivery," a familiar voice deadpanned. "Quit waxing poetry at me, you. Your jokes are never funny."

"Ah, the dulcet tones of the one and only person whom I never again want to see in my entire existence," Sebastian snorted and opened the door.

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual," Harrison said dryly. He greeted the butler with a tightly held fist. He opened it slowly, and the glob of souls from before materialized from his ring.

"One of your Hallows, I'd presume?" Sebastian asked mildly and accepted the glob- it floated over his hand.

In reply, the tutor merely shrugged and avoided answering it. "Here- dinner for you."

"You can hardly expect me to eat this," Sebastian said, wryly amused. He glared at the blob- it shrank back.

"I'm sure you've had worse meals," Harrison replied without missing a beat. "The souls in Hell aren't any better than this- worse, in fact, since these haven't passed beyond the Gates of Hell yet."

True enough, Sebastian shrugged. That was also why demons preferred to go to the mortal realms for food.

"I'm not supposed to consume souls when I'm contracted," Sebastian rebutted, one hand resting on the doorframe.

The angel shook his head. "The Faustian Contract stipulates that a demon who is contracted cannot _remove_ the soul of another being _while_ contracted. _I_ was the one who removed those souls; there's nothing in the contract against you _consuming_ an already removed soul, since demons cannot consume souls that are still attached to the body."

"True," Sebastian inclined his head. His eyes flashed a deep red- the earliest sign of a demon's hunger. "Yet you are very insistent that I be _fed_," he mused. "How unusual."

"I assure you, my goodwill does not extend that deep." the archangel said dryly. "You're going to need to be at your full strength for the challenges yet to come- that is, if you don't want to be a danger to everyone else around you, including your contractor."

"Is that a prophecy?" Sebastian- no, Malphas- asked lightly.

"I don't need to read the future to know that trouble follows the little lord like a shadow would their master," Michael said, dropping his persona as Harrison. "You're going to need to fight at your full strength, Malphas. You didn't get too roughed up _this_ time, but if you keep getting injured without a source of food to regenerate the damage… you'll lose control eventually due to hunger and consume everyone on this side of England."

"That bad, hm?" The demon looked at his rival, who met his stare dead on.

"You'll see for yourself when the time comes," Michael shrugged. "Just eat your damn food, Malphas. Those Shinigami won't even kick up a fuss over it, since I left them a note."

"How thoughtful of you," Malphas said, as he turned the ball of souls over in his hand.

"They can't complain anyways, since _I _was the one to remove the souls, and I outrank them by miles. I was just being polite," the angel shrugged.

"In that case, you have my thanks," the demon said smoothly.

"You can keep your thanks," the angel instantly replied. He turned to leave as Malphas' shadow began to unravel, and the demon bent down to drink.

* * *

Outtakes Four: A polite request for non-interference.

"Ara, a demon attack?" A hum of machinery stopped as a lawnmower hovered over the eerily quiet mansion.

The owner of the lawnmower adjusted his heavy frame glasses and pulled out a notebook. "… Let's see… John Denner- aged thirty one- death by blunt head trauma and blood loss via dinner plate…? Wow, those demons sure are getting creative. It's been a while since there has been an attack in England- I guess they must be getting bored."

Ronald Knox shrugged as he reached for the cinematic replay of Mr. Denner… only to find it missing.

"Huh?" Confusion showed in his poison green eyes. He glanced down on his notebook, only to find the page stamped when it wasn't a moment before.

"Overridden?" He gaped at the page. Even if the soul of the person was eaten by a demon, usually their cinematic replay was present in bits- demons were rarely clean eaters, after all. It was part of the reason why Shinigami detested demons so; they left only bits of the cinematic replay, and it was hard to judge a person's soul by the leftover bits. To have a soul removed this cleanly _and_ an override order, it could only mean one thing… Angels. But what is one doing on the scene of a demon attack, _removing_ a soul?

"Something's not right here," he muttered as he drifted down to the ground. He took his trusty gardening tool with him- just in case.

He meandered through the entire mansion, carelessly walking through the scene of the massacre. Everywhere he went, he only saw the aftermaths of a demon attack- carnage upon carnage. Up on the second floor, pinned with a pristine white feather to the wall, was a message. Clearing his throat, Ronald began to read to himself:

"To the overworked London Shinigami in charge of cleaning up this mess:

Greetings, I hope that this message finds you in decent health. For both convenience and mutual benefit, the souls going to hell have already been removed and accounted for; there is no need to send them into the afterlife. The override orders for those should already be given out and will appear shortly, depending on how overworked the clerks are for this part of England. You should find that the majority of the souls here are, in fact, sentenced to hell, and that your work has been mostly cut short. In that case, I hope that you will enjoy your time off (or if you happen to be the hardworking type, that your next assignment will more than make up for the slack).

Also, this message is an advanced notice to the London Shinigami: the demon in charge of this massacre is currently leashed with the Faustian contract, and I have taken up the assignment of guardian angel for his contractor. _Do not interfere with my assignment-_ this is my mission and mine only. I will take whatever actions necessary to complete my mission, as is my right. This is the only notice I will provide regarding this situation. Whatever concerns you have regarding this arrangement, you may take your inquiries up to the clerk cherubs up in Heaven.

Michael

Archangel, Commander of Divine Armies"

"_Michael, the Commander of Divine Armies_?!" Ronald gaped and nearly dropped his scythe. He repeated it once over, just to make sure he wasn't misreading anything. Forget his date with the secretary- William needs to see this, pronto.

* * *

Mandy: Well, that's another chapter done. I ran into a writer's block for my main story, and that's when I realized that I needed to let out some of that gore/dark theme that wouldn't quite fit my main story. Incidentally, they fit right into this one, so enjoy the update. I hope that you guys enjoy the update- sorry if it's a little gory/dark, but I think it should still fit under the "T" section; the gore's not bad enough to earn an "M" rating. But idk- my perception of what's "gore" is probably a bit more than skewed by now, and nothing grosses me out anymore, so let me know if the gore content in this chapter is a bit too much.

I just kind of sat down and started writing in the afternoon, and this chapter basically wrote itself. I have no idea what happened with the scene between Harrison and Bard; it just wrote itself. However, the flying scene with Ciel- I've had that one in my head for a while.

Also, the outtakes are something that I tend to do with most of my stories; they're basically scenes after where I want to end the story or scenes that I'm not really sure where to put in the chapter. They're all a part of the main story though, so don't skip them!

The names thing between Sebastian/Malphas and Harrison/Michael may get a bit confusing at times, but it's just like when Sebastian switches over to his more demonic side in the manga.

Also, chapter titles are pretty much just whatever song I'm listening to at the moment.

Edit: Editing for spelling errors and the like- 5/2/16


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